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Most people know Kunle Soname as the man behind Bet9ja—the giant that changed the game for sports betting in Nigeria. But there’s more to him than betting slips and odds calculators. A lot more.
Over the past decade, Soname has quietly built a business empire that spans far beyond gaming to include airlines, banking, football clubs, ceramics and agriculture.
Here’s a closer look at nine companies owned by Kunle Soname.
In 2013 Kunle Soname launched Bet9ja and brought sports betting online at a scale Nigeria had never seen before. Football fans loved it. Youths looking for small wins flocked to it. Today, Bet9ja is Africa’s most prominent sports betting platform, with millions of users across Nigeria and an annual turnover of more than $600 million.
In 2022, Soname surprised a lot of people when he unveiled ValueJet, a domestic airline with ambitions of fixing Nigeria’s broken air travel system. With short-haul routes and a laser focus on punctuality (a novelty in Nigerian aviation), ValueJet has quickly carved out a loyal customer base.
Soname, who was born in Ikenne, Ogun State, in Nigerias’ Southwest region, founded Remo Stars F.C. not just to run a club, but to build something meaningful in his hometown. The team has worked its way into Nigeria’s top league and is earning respect, not just as a football outfit, but as a well-run organization focused on youth development.
In 2015, Soname made history by buying Clube Desportivo Feirense, a second-division club in Portugal. That made him the first Nigerian to own a European football club.
Soname is the owner of Ceramco Trading Limited, a ceramic tile and sanitary ware manufacturer producing FERRI Porcelanato products. It might not have the glamor of football or airlines, but ceramics are big business in Nigeria’s growing construction sector.
Soname is a shareholder and co-founder of Optimus Bank, a new commercial bank aiming to modernize retail banking in Nigeria. It’s one of his newer ventures and still under the radar, but the pitch is strong: offer Nigerians faster, smarter, more tech-forward financial services.
Back home in Ogun State, Soname owns BLFA Hotel, a local hospitality outfit based in Ikenne.
Kuker Holdings
Soname controls his assets through Kuker Holdings, a private family office. There’s not much public info out there about Kuker Holdings, but the company is a shareholder in EnjoyCorp, the owner of Nigeria’s Champion Breweries.
Based in Abeokuta, Kuker Farms is Soname’s entry into agriculture. The company processes and sells everything from fresh fillets to frozen wings and full birds.
