Telecom
Globacom: World Class Institution Made in Nigeria
When Dr. Mike Adenuga Jr. proudly pulled the curtain to reveal Globacom after winning the Second National Operator (SNO) license in August 2002, the stage was set for the making of what is now the best brand ever made out of Nigeria.
Driven by patriotism, Globacom, has become a national character with world class outlook.
Globacom is much more than a national symbol; it is everything good in Nigeria.
The company’s promise is as good as its ability to deliver on it.
With the self-confident vision of the chief promoter, Globacom is now building biggest and best telecommunications network in Africa.
The principal business strategy to achieve this vision is expansion.
Road to Success
The amazing success of Globacom in the telecommunications sector has been a cause for national celebration and he has become an idol to Nigerian youths.
It came with determination and tenacity.
Remember that Dr Adenuga’s marks in oil and gas as well as banking and indeed the nation’s economy have been legendary, his venture into the telecommunications industry however a lot of ebbs.
In 2001, he ventured into telecommunications and began his search for a GSM licence, which he won.
A frequency allocated to him and his Communication Investment Limited (CIL) was encumbered and became subject of litigation.
CIL paid an initial US $20 million non-refundable deposit for the bidding and was only informed of problems associated with the licence at the point of payment by its bank, BN Paribas of France.
But CIL had paid the initial US $20 million non-refundable deposit for the bidding and was only told about the problematic license at the point of payment by its bank, BN Paribas of France.
While, he was struggling to regain his lost license, other licensees were busy deploying men and material for the launch of operations. Then, he saw a new window of opportunity, the National Operator License.
This was going to give him the GSM license, which he lost, a fixed and fixed wireless license, a gateway license and an online license. He went for it. Again, he was lucky. He won.
But his competitors had gone miles ahead. He plunged in and has now overtaken most of the early starters. He is currently dictating the pace and the tenor of the game.
How Globacom Got it Right
Globacom is credited for the first major tariff reduction in the country because before it launched a prepaid line was as expensive as N16, 000. Globacom cut that to N1, 999.
The company cut cost by 30-50 per cent, to N15-N20 per minute for frequent callers.
It did not stop there, Globacom is leader in innovation and that is a key to Globacom’s growth.
It is clearly a leader in the Nigerian market with respect to customer orientation.
Its unique marketing plans, product and tariff packages as well as superior service offering combined have made Globacom a world class company.
Many Firsts
First to introduce per-second billing (while other operators claimed it would only be possible by 2007);
•launched Txt2Email, a
service to send text messages from a mobile to any email address, and vice versa;
•offered Multimedia
Messaging Service (MMS);
•launched a mobile e-mail service with the Blackberry solution, thanks to Alcatel’s partnership with RIM;
•Magic Plus, a service to access information, business, sports and entertainment news;
•Glo Direct, which uses a mobile phone as a laptop modem via Globacom’s GPRS coverage;
•Glo Mobile Internet, via WAP and GPRS;
•Glo Fleetmanager, a vehicle tracking solution;
•M-banking, giving subscribers access to their bank accounts from their mobile phones.
The Big Bang
Driven by patriotism and desire to slash the high cost of bandwidth in Nigeria, Globacom is laying a 9,500-kilometre submarine telecommunications cable to connect Africa with Europe and the United States.
The submarine cable project, which is costing about $250m, will run from London to 14 West African countries, with a dedicated link to the United States.
It is expected to reach Ghana this year and shortly after, Nigeria.
The completion of the project will revolutionise telecoms services on the continent, and make them truly affordable to individuals and corporate bodies. It will also enable more services and products to be introduced by Globacom.
Aside developing Glo 1, Africa’s first private submarine fibre optic cable, Globacom is building one of the biggest and best telecommunication network in Africa
Pan African Company
Globacom is rolling out simultaneously across the West African countries from Ghana to Benin Republic; the Nigerian company is building world dream network.
In the build up to its dream of becoming a Pan African operator, Globacom is relying on its technical superiority, and ability to roll out quickly and effectively.
And the Chief Driver
Adenuga, has penchant for building something out of nothing. He is a quintessential businessman.
He is the sterling example of the type of business grit and entrepreneurial skill Africa needs to Cheeta pole vault its economies
A serial optimist, Adenuga, sees business where others do not. He has his hands in every good pie in the country.
Ingenuity is his second name because he started making money very early in life and has never looked back.
Adenuga described by former president of Ghana, John Kufor as a pride to Africa and a beacon of hope to the continent is a philanthropist of note.
Adenuga, 54 years old and a multibillionaire, is son of the late Ma Oyinkansola Adenuga, a wealthy trader.
Though son of a wealthy trader, he started the art of making money as a student in the United States where he took on two jobs — as a taxi driver and security guard — to sustain himself in school.
He is a man with the confidence for getting the proverbial honey out of the rock.
ntel, has officially moved away from its traditional voice and data business, unveiling a major transformation that will see it focus on digital infrastructure, artificial intelligence and technology-driven services.
As part of the consolidation process, ntel unveiled The Next Frontier, a transformation agenda planned to see the firm transform into an integrated digital infrastructure, connectivity and real estate enterprise.
Its new focus is a now BET Agenda – anchored on three growth pillars, Beam, Eden, and Titan and the drivers said that the strategy reflected ntel’s commitment to creating new opportunities through technology innovation, infrastructure development, and strategic asset optimisation.
The launch comes as ntel continues its journey towards regaining spectrum assets, while actively leveraging strategic partnerships to redefine innovation in the telecommunications industry and unlock new pathways for growth.
Built on the company’s BET Agenda – anchored on three growth pillars, Beam, Eden, and Titan – the strategy reflected ntel’s commitment to creating new opportunities through technology innovation, infrastructure development, and strategic asset optimisation.
The launch comes as ntel continues its journey towards regaining spectrum assets, while actively leveraging strategic partnerships to redefine innovation in the telecommunications industry and unlock new pathways for growth.
The company also showcased a portfolio of initiatives designed to strengthen its position as a future-focused infrastructure platform.
Under Beam, ntel announced the launch of WakaGo, a global e-SIM solution that delivers seamless connectivity for international travellers, alongside AirFibre, a high-speed fixed wireless broadband service designed to provide reliable internet access for businesses.
Under Titan, the company highlighted its growing infrastructure business focused on tower development, fibre connectivity, duct infrastructure, colocation services, and infrastructure sharing solutions that enable operators, enterprises, and technology providers to expand efficiently and sustainably.
A major highlight of the launch was Eden, ntel’s real estate development platform, which is transforming NatCom’s extensive property portfolio into high-value commercial and residential developments.
To further push its transformation, the company unveiled three flagship projects. They are Eden Place, a premium multi-storey commercial development in Lagos’ prime business district.
There is also Nova Place, a modern commercial development strategically located within Port Harcourt’s growing technology and business hub.
Terenna Court, a premium multi-storey residential apartment development in Abuja.
Together, these projects demonstrate ntel’s ambition to unlock the full potential of its real estate assets through strategic partnerships, innovative design, and long-term value creation.
Speaking at the unveiling of The Next Frontier, Soji Maurice-Diya, managing director/chief executive officer, NatCom Development and Investment Limited (trading as ntel), described the initiative as far more than a business transformation strategy.
According to him, it represents the company’s commitment to building an integrated ecosystem that connects people, empowers businesses, drives digital inclusion, and creates sustainable economic value for Nigeria.
Airtel Africa Foundation, through Airtel Nigeria, has reaffirmed its commitment to developing Nigeria’s future workforce with a high-impact virtual masterclass designed to equip young people with the practical skills required to thrive in an increasingly technology-driven economy.
The Initiative, held to commemorate World Youth Skills Day 2026, themed “Skills for a Shared Future – The NextGen Advantage,” presented a platform on which experienced Airtel professionals provided mentorship and coaching to undergraduates, interns, and recent graduates for the current realities of formal work environments.
Organised on the auspices of the Airtel Employee Volunteer Programme (EVP), by which staff donate their time and expertise towards social programmes, the 90-minute virtual masterclass, which was attended by over 400 undergraduates and young professionals, extended the reach of the Foundation’s education and youth development programmes.
Speaking on the initiative, Chief Executive Officer of Airtel Nigeria, Dinesh Balsingh, said investing in young people remains one of the most impactful ways to build Nigeria’s future economy.
He said, “The future of work is changing faster than ever before, and success will increasingly belong to those who are equipped with the right skills, the right mindset, and the confidence to adapt. As an organisation, we believe that empowering young people with practical digital and professional capabilities is an investment in Nigeria’s future competitiveness.
Through our Employee Volunteer Programme, our people are sharing not just knowledge, but real industry experience to help shape careers, unlock opportunities, and prepare the next generation to lead in a digital world.”
Unlike traditional career seminars, the masterclass adopted an interactive learning model that offered participants the option to select specialised breakout sessions aligned with personal interests and career aspirations.
In his keynote remarks titled The Next Gen Advantage, Director, Corporate Communications and CSR, Airtel Nigeria, Femi Adeniran, noted that the future will be shaped by the skills to transform great ideas into impactful solutions.
He summed up the pathway to a future-ready career into five actions, namely learning continuously, solving problems, building a digital reputation, embracing Artificial Intelligence, and developing human skills.
“Technical knowledge remains important, but employers today are equally looking for adaptability, collaboration, communication, digital confidence, and the ability to learn continuously,” he said.
In the first general session titled Your Network is Your Net Worth, Adebimpe Ayo-Elias, Director, Human Resources and Administration, Airtel Nigeria, charged attendees to build character. The second general session themed Your Money, Your Future, delivered tips on budgeting and financial discipline was facilitated by Olakunbi Osigbesan, Head, Treasure, Smartcash PSB.
Following the general sessions were five breakout rooms, in which attendees were offered curated guides designed to develop contemporary workplace competencies.
The first session, Digital Transformation and Growth, led by Oyebowale Akideinde, General Manager, Digital and Innovation, Airtel Nigeria, presented a mechanism to leverage digital platforms for visibility and opportunity creation.
The CV Clinic and Interview Masterclass, which was led by Chidera Okoye, HR Outsourcing Lead, Airtel Nigeria, discussed practical recruitment strategies, including applicant tracking system (ATS)-friendly CVs, and the STAR interview framework.
A third session on Communication and Personal Branding, delivered by Sam Adeoye, Head, Public Relations, Airtel Nigeria, focused on value presentation, executive communication, and earned visibility, built on “V.I.R.A.L.”, a mnemonic device created for the attendees by the facilitator.
The programme also featured a dedicated session titled AI as Your Superpower, presented by Ezenwa Agbanusi, IT Governance Executive at Airtel Nigeria, in which participants discussed prompt engineering and AI-powered tools for enhanced learning, creativity, and workplace performance.
Corporate Social Responsibility Lead at Airtel Nigeria, Victoria Ndu, led the fifth breakout room on Emotional Intelligence, with a guide on building a high emotional intelligence quotient (EQ) for improved workplace and business performance.
By connecting future professionals directly with industry experts, the company continues to support the development of a workforce equipped to participate meaningfully in Nigeria’s rapidly evolving digital economy and contribute to shared prosperity.
U.S. ride-hailing giant Uber has agreed to acquire German food delivery company Delivery Hero in a deal valued at €12.7 billion ($14.6 billion), marking one of the largest transactions in the global food delivery industry.
Uber
The companies announced the agreement on Thursday, with Uber offering €41.50 per share for Delivery Hero, a Berlin-based company that has grown into one of the world’s largest online food delivery platforms.
Despite the announcement, Delivery Hero’s shares declined by 0.5 per cent in Frankfurt trading to €37.90.
Founded in 2011, Delivery Hero operates in more than 60 markets across Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East.
The company has expanded beyond traditional restaurant delivery services into quick commerce, providing rapid delivery of groceries and other consumer goods.
Under the agreement, Uber will acquire Delivery Hero’s operations in 50 markets globally.
As part of the transaction, U.S.-based investment firm SSW Partners will acquire Delivery Hero’s businesses in 14 additional markets where the German company and Uber currently compete. The transaction is valued at approximately €1.4 billion.
Delivery Hero Chief Executive Officer and co-founder, Niklas Östberg, said the partnership would strengthen the company’s long-term growth by combining its local market expertise with Uber’s global technology and delivery platform.
“Uber’s global mobility and delivery platform and our shared commitment to innovation make this the right partnership to build on Delivery Hero’s strengths in local food delivery and quick commerce,” Östberg said.
Uber Chief Executive Officer, Dara Khosrowshahi, said the acquisition would expand the company’s delivery operations while creating new opportunities for merchants, consumers and delivery workers.
“A merger would extend affordable, reliable delivery to many millions more people in some of the world’s most dynamic economies, while creating more opportunities for merchants and couriers,” he said.
Delivery Hero’s management has unanimously recommended that shareholders approve the offer.
The companies said the transaction remains subject to shareholder approval and regulatory approvals, with completion expected in the second half of 2027.
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