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  • Nigeria:  Mike Adenuga's Gift to UNN

    • Mike Adenuga's Gift to UNN
    • ONE of the unheralded events in the improvement of higher education in the country in year 2011 was the quiet gesture from Dr Mike Adenuga Jr. to the University of Nigeria Nsukka, UNN, Enugu State. He gave the frontline institution the princely sum of N150 million.

      The gift, according to his representative, was a gesture of goodwill "to this great citadel of learning that has produced leaders in the public and private sectors, CEOs, managers of multinational corporations, successful entrepreneurs, and worthy ambassadors of this great country, and beyond."

      Adenuga said he believed that institutions o f higher learning should be strengthened with funding by both government and the private sector to improve standards, research and development in line with international best practices.

      The donation was, therefore, to boost the capacity of UNN to develop graduates that can compete favorably with their peers anywhere in the world for the growth and prosperity of the nation.

      The N150 million gift was described by the Vice Chancellor of UNN as an 'incredible gift,' which indeed, it is.

      For one, Adenuga, who is the Chairman of Globacom, Conoil, ETB bank and other businesses, is not known to be an alumnus of UNN, nor had he any educational experience in the South East geo-political zone of the country where the UNN is situated.

      He actually attended Ibadan Grammar School, North Western State University in Alva, Oklahoma and Pace University, New York all in the USA.

      From a modest sawmill business which he inherited, Adenuga has gone on to become one of the most celebrated businessmen in Nigeria and, indeed, Africa.

      But what marks this astute businessman out is his recognition of his responsibility as a corporate and social citizen.

      It may be quite reasonably construed that Adenuga's gift is anything but altruistic since as a businessman he has stakes in the Eastern Nigerian market. This, especially since he is Yoruba and is openly benefiting a typical Igbo institution.

      But that is exactly the point we wish to make; that, as with the best practices all over the world, successful businesses and individuals have internalized the subtle lesson that a king is nothing without his people and that it is human nature to give back to humanity what nature has given.

      Adenuga is not the only wealthy businessman with interests in the Eastern market but, by his gesture he has demonstrated a clear perception of what corporate social responsibility should be all about.

      This is an object lesson to all Nigerians that since government cannot do every thing, their widows' mites to institutions and organizations engaged in educating and training the nation's youths will go a long way in lifting up the fallen standards of the country's education. What with the United Kingdom declining to admit Nigerian medical graduates to take practicing examinations or even higher degrees in medicine!
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      It is not as though Nigeria's rich are not doing their bits in pure constructive philanthropy; the point is that they should do more of it rather than making gestures that merely put them in momentary spotlight without leaving enduring legacies.

      We salute Dr Mike Adenuga Jr. for this generous gesture and for all the other corporate responsibility initiatives that he and his companies have been using to positively impact their host communities, the country and the continent as a whole.

      The ball is now in the court of the UNN authorities to ensure that the money donated by Adenuga is so well utilized that the impact will be felt by both the students and staff of the institution as well as the generality of the people.

      It is in so doing that equally well endowed Nigerians will be encouraged to follow the example of the Globacom boss, and the education sector, corporate Nigeria specifically and the country generally will be the best for this good seed that has been sown by Dr.
  • Tags:Enugu State, Mike Adenuga Jr, University of Nigeria Nsukka, Globacom, Conoil, ETB.
  • Source:Daily Nation

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