To evoke the mythical personage depicted in Ben Okri’s prize-winning book, ‘The Famished Road’ – who lived many lifetimes, and wrought mighty accomplishments in each one of them – Sir (Chief) Kessington Adebukunola Adebutu, OON, CON, seems to have packed the accomplishments of many lifetimes into one.

Popularly known as ‘Baba Ijebu’, Adebutu, who turns 90 in a few days’ time, has attained a larger-than-life status over the years, which has filled his admirers and detractors alike with awe, and led many to wonder whether he is man or myth.

 

He has recorded astounding strides in the world of business – with interests in construction, oil and gas, real estate and hospitality – businesses which today have solidified his position as a key player in Nigeria’s economic evolution. Ranking as one of Nigeria’s wealthiest persons, Adebutu has influenced countless other enterprises in the country. Among his companies, a few stand out, as follows:

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Wema Bank Plc (a financial behemoth best known for ALAT, Africa’s first totally digital bank) where he owns about 28.15% of shares – which goes a long way to demonstrate his impact on Nigeria’s financial environment. Adebutu’s investment in Wema Bank is held through Neemtree Limited, a conglomerate that encompasses gaming, manufacturing, media, energy, and real estate, as well as a strategic vehicle which he established precisely to buy stakes in specific firms. Arbico Plc, another of his signature investments, is a full-service building and civil engineering contracting company. Founded in 1958, it has been listed on the Nigerian Exchange since 1978.

 

In a strategic pivot into the Nigerian economy’s cash cow – oil and gas – Chief Adebutu went on to launch Wessex Petroleum. He also has substantial interests in the management of real estate assets – notably through Pentagon Real Estate, a property development enterprise whose operations have come to exemplify his vision for infrastructure and urban development in Nigeria as a catalyst for the country’s growth and development.

But, of course, it is his gaming behemoth, Premier Lotto Limited, that best exemplifies his signature nickname, ‘Baba Ijebu.’ Today, Premier Lotto stands at the vanguard of his entrepreneurship. Incorporated in 2001, it is a provider of lottery and sports betting services, particularly in the South-west of Nigeria. It boasts a vast distribution network of primary agents and retail gaming representatives.

 

Chief Adebutu’s leadership skills and management strategies have not only brought about changes in the lottery and gaming ecosystem in Nigeria, but have also positioned Premier Lotto as an influential brand whose operations have, by some measures, had a significant effect on the reduction of youth unemployment and the enhancement of government revenues, as it rakes an estimated annual revenue of N10bn for government at various levels.

On the whole, Chief Adebutu’s rise over the years – from a pool agent to visionary business titan – is a reflection of his commitment towards building businesses that stand the test of time. A firm believer in vision, determination, and teamwork, Adebutu has consistently championed the need for the African continent to chart its own course by harnessing its abundant resources for the benefit of its people.

 

That nickname, ‘Baba Ijebu’ has also become synonymous with Chief Adebutu’s open-handed philanthropy. Perhaps as remarkable as his entrepreneurial exploits have been his investments in social capital. In recent years, Adebutu’s philanthropic efforts have helped to economically empower countless Nigerians. The instrument of these efforts is the Kessington Adebukunola Adebutu Foundation (KAAF), an organisation which has come to symbolize his commitment towards elevating the less fortunate and contributing to the country’s general development, with a concentration on education, healthcare, and cultural promotion.

In many tertiary institutions across the land, buildings and other facilities donated by his foundation stand tall. They include the state-of-the-art Sir Kessington Adebutu radio station at the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye; the ultra-modern Sir Kessington Adebutu Centre at the University of Lagos; the Alhaja Seliat Adebutu Library at Crescent University and the Sir Kessington Adebutu Science Laboratory. Others include the new Remo Methodist High School building and a block of classrooms at Gaskiya College, Badiya, Lagos.

 

Speaking of cultural promotion, the nonagenarian is the recipient of a plethora of traditional chieftaincy titles such as the Odole O’odua, which was conferred on him by the Ooni of Ife – making him only the third personage in the history of that ancient kingdom to be so honoured, after the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, and the legal luminary, Chief GOK Ajayi, SAN.

Adebutu’s other chieftaincy titles include the Asoju Oba of Lagos (which makes him second in command in the hierarchy of Lagos titled chiefs), the Babalaje of Lagos, the Olotu of Lagos, the Balogun of Iperu Remo, the Baba Oba of Iperu Remo, the Akogun of Remoland, the Bobaselu of Ondo Kingdom, the Baba Oba of Noforija Kingdom, Epe and the Baba Oba of Iperuland. He is also the Baba Ijo of the Methodist Church – signaling his devotion to the tenets of the Christian faith.

 

A native of Iperu Remo in Ikenne LGA of Ogun State, Baba Ijebu was born into a Muslim family on October 24, 1945. His parents were Alhaji Karimu Folarin Adebutu and Alhaja Seliat Olasimbi Adebutu. After his early education – notably at Ijero Baptist School, Apapa Road, Ebute-Meta in Lagos, where he completed his primary education, Baptist Academy (also in Lagos), where he began his secondary education in 1951, but completed it at the Remo Secondary School (ESS) in Sagamu, Ogun state in 1955 – the young Kessington Adebutu worked briefly with Cable & Wireless Limited (which would later become NITEL) as well as Classic Chemical Limited, a pharmaceutical company producing Andrew’s Liver Salt and Cafenol.

 

In 1963, however, he left the company to start his own business – a pool agency. Though his reported ambition (to study Law at university) never saw the light of day, Adebutu’s quest for knowledge and enlightenment remained undiminished even as he blazed many trails in business; he is an alumnus of several leadership and management development courses, both locally and internationally. In October 2015, the tycoon was decorated with an honorary Doctor of Business Administration degree by the Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), for his invaluable contributions to the nation’s economy.

Adebutu’s first wife and longtime confidante, Dame Caroline Oladunni Adebutu, passed on in January 2023 at the age of 83. He is married to other wives – among them his youngest, Kofoworola Adebutu, a business tycoon in her own right – with whom he is blessed with many children who have gone on to highly successful careers of their own.

 

Inside sources say the billionaire’s 90th birthday festivities, a veritable extravaganza which will commence at his palatial home in Iperu Remo, will include events at the prestigious Eko Hotels and Suites on Victoria Island, Lagos, where the legendary juju maestro, King Sunny Ade, will entertain an elite gathering.

 

Needless to say, the celebrations will be a fitting tribute to a man who has been given much, and has given back much in return – a man showered with grace and favour in abundance, of which he is so willing to share.

Chief Kessington Adebukunola Adebutu, CON, OON will be celebrated, not only for economically empowering hundreds of thousands of Nigerians, but also for endearing himself to his fellow men and women through his uncommon philanthropic gestures.

 

This is wishing him more years of life and service to humanity.