… As Globacom’s decades-long investment in storytelling continues to amplify Africa’s greatest voices
Written By Rashidat O. Okunlade
America’s National Basketball Association (NBA) legend, Hakeem Olajuwon, will this week grace the studios of Cable News Network’s African Voices Changemakers, sponsored by telecommunications giant, Globacom.
The twelve-time NBA All-Star and two-time NBA champion will sit with the programme’s anchor, Larry Madowo, to regale viewers with his success story and how he left Nigeria for the United States of America, where he was nicknamed “The Dream” owing to his rare talent on the basketball pitch.
From Lagos to the World Stage
Born in Lagos, Nigeria, on January 21, 1963, Olajuwon, who stood at an imposing 7ft, began playing basketball in 1978 at the Muslim Teachers’ College in Lagos before relocating to America in the early 80s.
There, he played basketball for the University of Houston’s team, The Cougars. He was drafted by the Houston Rockets with the first overall selection of the 1984 NBA draft, known for its star-studded class which included other basketball greats such as Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, and John Stockton.
Olajuwon was a member of the 1996 Olympic gold medal-winning United States national basketball team and was selected as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008 and the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2016.
In October 2021, he was honoured as one of the league’s greatest players of all time by being named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team. His outstanding career came to a close as the league’s all-time leader in blocks (3,830). He is one of four NBA players to record a quadruple-double and is the all-time leader in 5×5 games with six.
Among a string of awards, Olajuwon was a two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year and the 1994 NBA MVP. He was also NBA Finals MVP in 1994 and 1995, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest players and basketball centers of all time whose amazing career and legacy have rubbed off on current NBA stars.
Broadcast Details
The edition airs this Saturday on DSTV Channel 401 at 8:30 a.m. and 12 a.m. A repeat will be broadcast on Sunday at 4:30 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.; Monday at 4:00 a.m. and 6:45 p.m.; and Tuesday at 6:45 p.m. The repeat broadcasts continue next week Saturday at 12: a.m. and 8:30 a.m.; Sunday at 4:30 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.; and Monday at 4:00 a.m. (all West African Time).
Why Globacom Sponsors So Many Programmes
Globacom’s sponsorship of African Voices Changemakers is not an isolated gesture. It forms part of a deliberate, decades-long corporate strategy that positions the telecommunications giant as a steward of African storytelling and cultural heritage.
For over 15 years, Globacom has been the exclusive sponsor of African Voices Changemakers, one of CNN’s longest-running and most successful series, which profiles the continent’s thought-leaders, creatives, athletes, and entertainers . Globacom’s Chief Marketing Director, Ashok Israni, described the partnership as “more than just brand alignment; it has been a profound expression of our shared commitment to the transformative power of storytelling”.
This philosophy extends beyond global media. In Nigeria, Globacom has sponsored the Ofala Festival in Onitsha for more than 15 consecutive years, helping transform it from a palace ritual into a world-renowned cultural festival. The Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Nnaemeka Achebe, publicly commended the company for its “unwavering commitment” and for helping “take a living heritage to the global stage” . Globacom has similarly supported the Ojude-Oba festival in Ijebuland, reinforcing its presence across Nigeria’s major cultural gatherings.
The strategic logic is clear. By associating its brand with authentic African excellence whether through a global platform like CNN or a revered traditional institution like Ofala, Globacom builds deep emotional connections with consumers that transcend conventional advertising. As the company itself frames it, the philosophy of “Never Settle for Less” is about honouring foundations while continually striving for something greater. Sponsoring the stories of Africans who have achieved global greatness, like Hakeem Olajuwon, is the purest expression of that philosophy.
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