Kunle Soname: The Man Who Built <a href="https://jobsinodisha.org/companies/the-bet9ja-promotion-code-for-2026-is-yohaig/">Bet9ja</a> From Scratch

Kunle Soname left a promising political career to build Bet9ja, and the gamble paid off in a big way — his platform now tops Nigeria’s sports betting market.

The green-and-white Bet9ja brand is visible on football jerseys and national TV across Nigeria. The founder who built that brand, Kunle Soname, does not seek public attention — but his rise is one of the most compelling in Nigerian entrepreneurship.

Soname’s education did not follow a single track. He studied Estate Management, Political Science, and later completed an MBA prior to entering local politics. He served as Executive Chairman of Ikosi-Isheri Local Council between 2003 and 2011, giving him real-world exposure in public administration that turned out to be valuable in business.

After Soname established Bet9ja in September 2013, he made a deliberate choice to begin with physical agents rather than launch purely digital. He recruited agents across Ogun State and opening physical shops for local bettors, he built a dedicated user base before rolling out nationally. The company then added better odds than rivals, virtual sports, and a clean mobile interface to win over tech-savvy customers nationwide.

Now, Bet9ja reports an annual turnover of over $750 million, placing it as Africa’s largest sports betting operator. Soname’s estimated net worth is now estimated at over $100 million, with certain sources placing the figure as high as $500 million, even if such figures are hard to pin down given his choice to keep finances undisclosed. For punters in Nigeria, this success story is relevant because it is the reason behind the depth of resources that keeps into its platform.

Soname’s entrepreneurial drive reach well beyond the betting industry. In 2025, Remo Stars was confirmed as Nigeria’s NPFL title-winners, the first privately-owned club to win the league. In aviation, ValueJet began domestic flights in 2022 and has since grown to more routes. The breadth of his portfolio speaks to a consistent strategy of investing in sectors that touch the Nigerian market.

Bet9ja In Numbers

  • The platform reports over $750 million in annual turnover, placing it the continent’s largest sports betting platform by revenue. [BusinessDay]
  • Nigeria’s online gambling sector is expected to exceed $3.63 billion by late 2025, ranking it as a top-performing betting markets on the continent. [Grokipedia / SportRadar data]
  • Bet9ja runs over 5,000 licensed agents across Nigeria, giving livelihoods to many thousands of Nigerian youths. [Nairametrics]
  • Back in 2019, Bet9ja invested more than N1 billion to secure its place as title sponsor of Big Brother Naija, a programme widely considered the highest-rated entertainment programmes in Nigeria. [BusinessDay]
  • Nigeria’s over 220 million residents includes a significant and expanding base of young consumers, creating an exceptionally large addressable markets for online betting. [BusinessDay]
  • Bet9ja’s website was reported as Nigeria’s second most popular website by Google at its peak, outranking most local news platforms. [Nairametrics]

Did You Know?

  1. You may not know that the platform was co-founded by Ayo Ojuroye, who currently holds the role of chief executive officer, while Soname holds the role of chairman?
  2. The company started as an offline-only platform in Sagamu, Ogun State, prior to moving online and across Nigeria.
  3. Remo Stars F.C., which Soname founded in 2004 with the name FC Dender, was moved from Lagos to Soname’s home state as a sign of the chairman’s attachment to Ikenne.
  4. Bet9ja’s YOHAIG bonus code gives newly registered members an opening bonus on the opening deposit, so it is one of the most attractive registration bonuses in Nigeria right now.
  5. Soname became the first Nigerian to acquire a European football club when he acquired a 70% ownership in Clube Desportivo Feirense in 2015 via his company Tavistock Global Resource Limited.
  6. Bet9ja partnered with Sportradar and NetEnt to deepen both the quality of its odds and its casino and virtual games catalogue.
  7. Kunle Soname also founded BLFA, a youth-focused talent development programme aimed at identify and support young Nigerian footballers as a community project.

Kunle Soname’s rise is a reminder that timing, instinct, and a deep understanding of your market can build something extraordinary. Nigerian sports fans keen to sign up to the platform may want to enter the YOHAIG promotion code to get a first-deposit bonus on their first deposit. Head to a trusted Bet9ja promotion code page for the most up-to-date bonus offer before you register.

Sources

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