From Politics To Bet9ja: The Kunle Soname Story
How Kunle Soname Turned Bet9ja Into Nigeria's Top Brand
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The story of how a local government chairman from Ogun State became the founder of Nigeria's most popular sports betting platform is one of the most impressive in African business.
You probably recognise the Bet9ja name, but fewer Nigerians know who created it. Kunle Soname, a publicity-shy businessman from Ikenne in Ogun State, launched Bet9ja in 2013 and built it into Nigeria's top-ranked sports betting platform.
Soname's academic path was anything but a single track. He earned degrees in Estate Management, Political Science, and later completed an MBA before entering local politics. He served as Executive Chairman of Ikosi-Isheri Local Council for eight years, providing firsthand knowledge in mobilising people that would later prove critical in business.
Soname's competitive advantage went beyond the product. He leveraged his experience in public life to tap into everyday Nigerians. Bet9ja expanded fast by pairing offline accessibility with mobile convenience, a formula that almost no competitors managed to replicate in those early years.
Now, Bet9ja records yearly revenue of more than $750 million, placing it as the continent's top-ranked sports betting platform. Soname's personal net worth is put at more than $100 million, with some reports putting it as high as $500 million, even if such figures are hard to pin down given his choice to keep finances private. For Nigerian bettors, that growth is meaningful because it explains the depth of investment that continues to go into its platform.
Soname's ambitions extend far beyond Bet9ja. In 2025, Remo Stars became the NPFL champions, marking the first time privately-run club to claim the championship. In aviation, ValueJet launched domestic flights in 2022 and quickly added to more routes. The range of his portfolio reflects a clear strategy of building assets that serve the Nigerian consumer.
Nigerian Betting In Numbers
The platform generates over $750 million in yearly revenue, making it Africa's leading sports betting platform by revenue. [BusinessDay]
The Nigerian online gambling market is projected to reach $3.63 billion by late 2025, ranking it as one of the fastest-growing sports betting markets globally. [Grokipedia / SportRadar data]
Bet9ja operates over 5,000 agents across Nigeria, giving employment to tens of thousands of young Nigerians. [Nairametrics]
Back in 2019, Bet9ja invested over N1 billion to become title sponsor of the Big Brother Naija show, which ranks as the most popular TV shows in sub-Saharan Africa. [BusinessDay]
Nigeria's population of residents includes a significant and growing young population, making for a globally competitive large addressable markets for online betting. [BusinessDay]
Bet9ja was identified as Nigeria's second most popular website according to Google at its peak, outranking most major news platforms. [Nairametrics]
Bet9ja: Did You Know?
Did you know that the platform was established by Ayo Ojuroye, the executive serves as chief executive officer, while Soname holds the position of chairman?
Bet9ja launched as an offline-only operation in Ogun State, and only later expanding online and to other states.
Remo Stars F.C., which Soname set up in 2004 with the name FC Dender, relocated from Lagos to Ogun State as a sign of the founder's commitment to his hometown.
The YOHAIG bonus code offers first-time bettors a sign-up bonus on the opening deposit, making it among the best-value sign-up offers on the market today.
He became the first Nigerian national to hold a stake in a top-tier European football side when he acquired a 70% share of Clube Desportivo Feirense in 2015 via his company Tavistock Global Resource Limited.
The platform signed a deal with global data provider Sportradar and NetEnt to deepen both the quality of its odds and the breadth of its gaming content.
Kunle Soname also founded Beyond Limits Football Academy, a grassroots talent development programme set up to identify and support young Nigerian footballers as a social intervention.
The Bet9ja chairman's journey is proof that reading a market correctly and committing early are what it takes to build a world-class business. Nigerian sports fans keen to join Bet9ja may want to enter the YOHAIG promo code to claim a welcome bonus on their first deposit. Check a trusted Bet9ja promotion code page for current bonus offer before signing up.
Sources
BusinessDay Nigeria — How Bet9ja's Kunle Soname Left Politics to Bet on a Billion-Dollar Industry (accessed March 2025)
Nairametrics — Meet Bet9ja's Kunle Soname (accessed March 2025)
Billionaires Africa — 9 Companies Owned by Kunle Soname (accessed March 2025)
Legit.ng — Full List of Companies Owned by Kunle Soname (accessed March 2025)
Grokipedia — Kunle Soname (accessed March 2025)
BusinessDay Nigeria — How Kunle Soname is Redefining Nigeria's Football Club Management (accessed March 2025)
