Bella Disu

Belinda "Bella" Ajoke Olubunmi Disu (née Adenuga, born May 29, 1986) is a Nigerian business executive, arts enthusiast, published author, and philanthropist.

Early life and education
Bella was born on 29 May 1986 to Emelia Adefolake Marquis, a Nigerian entrepreneur, and Mike Adenuga,the chairman of Globacom. She was educated in Lagos, first at Corona School, Victoria Island and then at Queen's College for her secondary education. In 1998, she left Queen's College for the Vivian Fowler Memorial College for Girls, where she graduated in 2000.

A global thought leader renowned for her leadership, corporate governance, and business innovation expertise, Disu holds a B.A. in International Relations from the University of Massachusetts, Boston, and an M.Sc. in Leadership from Northeastern University, Boston.

Career
In 2004, Bella Disu joined Globacom and has since ascended to Executive Vice Chairman, offering strategic leadership to this prominent telecommunications company in Nigeria. The year she assumed the role, she attended the Africa CEO Forum, where she had a private meeting with President Paul Kagame of Rwanda. She was also a keynote speaker for the Women in Business Initiative of the Africa CEO Forum. She joined 149 other global business leaders like Aliko Dangote, Jim Ovia and Tony Elumelu at the 2019 Choose France International Business Summit held at the Chateau de Versailles in France. At the summit, she announced a deal with Nokia Alcatel-Lucent to supply, install, and integrate a new Sure Pay Intelligent Network platform.

She is also the CEO of Cobblestone Properties and Estates Limited, a leading property development company with a robust portfolio of residential and commercial properties in Nigeria. With her extensive experience in high-value contract negotiation and project management, Disu has successfully constituted and led notable projects. Her portfolio includes the development of luxury residences, Sisi Paris, Lagos, Ile Oja Shopping Malls, and the Alliance Française Mike Adenuga Centre, commissioned by French President Emmanuel Macron on July 4, 2018, in Lagos, Nigeria.

Disu is the Chairman of the Board of Directors at Abumet Nigeria Limited, a glass and aluminum manufacturing company. She is also a Non-Executive Director on the board of Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, Nigeria’s apex construction company. She brings her enthusiasm for transformation on both boards to drive organizational productivity and profitability. She serves on the Board Audit and Remuneration Committees at Julius Berger and the Shareholders Advisory Council.

She is an associate of Women in Management, Business and Public Service (WIMBIZ), and a member of the prestigious Institute of Directors, Nigeria, and the  Nigerian Institute of Management.

In 2024, Bella launched the SheGlows Program to nurture female leaders at Globacom and create a supportive ecosystem where women thrive in their careers.

Personal life
In April 2010, she married Jameel Disu, a venture capitalist, and they have three children.

Philanthropy
Disu is the founder and chairperson of the Bella Disu Foundation(BDF), a nonprofit organization aiming to improve vulnerable communities' socio-economic outcomes. BDF contributes to various programs, including education, health, disaster relief, and more. The foundation has collaborated with organisations such as the International Women’s Society, LUTH Children’s Cancer Ward, Lagos Food Bank, and Irede Foundation.

She is an avid sponsor of the arts and, in this capacity, a director of the Mike Adenuga Centre. She actively promotes French and Nigerian cultures through the Centre’s partnership with Alliance Française. She is listed as a "benefactor" of music by the Musical Society of Nigeria (MUSON) Wall of Fame for her contributions to encouraging a better environment for musical learning.

Bella Disu, representing the Mike Adenuga Foundation (MAF), donated N1.5 billion to the Federal and Lagos State governments to support Nigeria's fight against the global Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19).

Awards and recognition
In 2019, the French Government awarded Bella the prestigious Chevalier dans ‘l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in recognition of her efforts in promoting French culture. She is the youngest-ever recipient.

For three consecutive years, Bella Disu has been distinguished as one of the select women whose significant contributions across various sectors, as both a business leader and philanthropist, have been recognized and honoured by Governor Sanwo-Olu under the Lagos State #Eko100Women initiative.

In addition, her role as a dynamic leader in Africa's economic landscape was further highlighted when she was selected for the Choiseul 100 Africa ranking. This recognition, both in 2022 and again in 2023, underscores her as a key figure poised to play a major role in the continent's economic development.

Her desire to see the return of the well-illustrated and richly narrated folktales she read as a child led her to write Soso and The Kako Leaf, a book for children aged 6-12. The book, which reflects Nigerian culture and characters, was published on June 19, 2022, and since then, it has received a GOLD Mom’s Choice Award and a 5-star review from Readers Favorite.