Bet9ja Founder Kunle Soname's Billion-Dollar Journey
Bet9ja Founder Kunle Soname's Billion-Dollar Journey
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "How Bet9ja's Kunle Soname Left Politics to Bet on a Billion-Dollar Industry",
"description": "Kunle Soname left a political career to found Bet9ja, and built Nigeria's biggest sports betting platform with over $750 million in annual turnover.",
"datePublished": "2025-03-04T08:00:00Z",
"dateModified": "2025-03-04T08:00:00Z",
"author":
"@type": "Organization",
"name": "Bet9ja News",
"url": "https://www.bet9japromotioncode.com.ng/"
,
"publisher":
"@type": "Organization",
"name": "Bet9ja News",
"logo":
"@type": "ImageObject",
"url": "https://www.bet9japromotioncode.com.ng/logo.png"
,
"keywords": "Bet9ja promo code, YOHAIG, Bet9ja promotion code, Nigerian sports betting, Bet9ja bonus",
"articleSection": "Sports Betting",
"inLanguage": "en-NG",
"about":
"@type": "Thing",
"name": "Bet9ja",
"description": "Nigeria's leading online sports betting platform"
* margin: 0; padding: 0; box-sizing: border-box;
body font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, sans-serif; line-height: 1.7; color: #2d2d2d; background: #f4f4f4;
.container max-width: 820px; margin: 0 auto; background: #fff; padding: 40px; box-shadow: 0 2px 6px rgba(0,0,0,0.08);
h1 font-size: 28px; line-height: 1.3; color: #111; margin-bottom: 12px;
.subheading font-size: 17px; color: #555; margin-bottom: 28px; line-height: 1.6; font-weight: 400; border-left: 4px solid #1a7a3c; padding-left: 14px;
article p font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 18px;
article h2 font-size: 21px; margin: 32px 0 14px; color: #111; border-top: 2px solid #1a7a3c; padding-top: 16px;
.stats-section background: #f0faf4; border: 1px solid #b2dfca; border-radius: 8px; padding: 24px; margin: 32px 0;
.stats-section h2 border-top: none; padding-top: 0; margin-top: 0; color: #145a2e;
.stats-section ul margin-left: 20px;
.stats-section li margin-bottom: 12px; font-size: 15px; color: #333;
.did-you-know background: #fff8e1; border: 1px solid #ffc107; border-radius: 8px; padding: 24px; margin: 32px 0;
.did-you-know h2 color: #7a5800; border-top: none; padding-top: 0; margin-top: 0;
.did-you-know ol margin-left: 20px;
.did-you-know li margin-bottom: 11px; font-size: 15px;
.sources margin-top: 32px; padding-top: 20px; border-top: 1px solid #ddd; font-size: 14px; color: #666;
.sources h2 font-size: 16px; color: #444; border: none; padding: 0; margin-bottom: 10px;
.sources ul margin-left: 18px;
.sources li margin-bottom: 6px;
a color: #1a7a3c; text-decoration: none;
a:hover text-decoration: underline;
strong color: #111;
@media (max-width: 600px) .container padding: 20px; h1 font-size: 22px;
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.
Bet9ja remains the country's most recognised sports betting brand, but the person behind it seldom makes headlines. Kunle Soname, chairman and co-founder of Bet9ja, created the company from a modest offline outlet in Ogun State into a nationally dominant company.
A native of Ikenne-Remo, Ogun State, Soname attended Federal Government College Lagos before going on to a degree in Estate Management at Obafemi Awolowo University. He also obtained a Political Science degree from Lagos State University and an MBA in Marketing Management in 1996. He moved into politics in 2003, taking on the role of Executive Chairman of Ikosi-Isheri Local Council in Lagos State for eight years.
When Soname founded Bet9ja in September 2013, he chose deliberately to begin with physical agents rather than go purely digital. Working with agents across Ogun State and setting up physical shops for nearby bettors, Soname built a strong user base before rolling out nationally. The company later introduced competitive odds, virtual games, and a clean app to attract younger bettors throughout Nigeria.
Bet9ja's growth created real knock-on benefits for Nigerian bettors. His continued commitment in platform upgrades, physical locations, and sponsorship deals translates into one of the most feature-rich sportsbook offerings accessible in West Africa. It integrates payments from major Nigerian banks, which makes moving money fast and easy.
Soname's business interests reach well beyond the betting industry. In 2025, Remo Stars became Nigeria's NPFL title-winners, the first privately-owned club to take the title. In aviation, ValueJet launched commercial flights in 2022 and has since added its fleet and network. The breadth of his a consistent approach to building assets that serve the Nigerian consumer.
Nigerian Betting In Numbers
The platform records more than $750 million in revenue per year, ranking it Africa's leading sports betting platform by revenue. [BusinessDay]
The Nigerian sports betting sector is forecast to hit $3.63 billion by late 2025, cementing it as a top-performing sports betting markets in Africa. [Grokipedia / SportRadar data]
Bet9ja runs more than 5,000 licensed agents throughout Nigeria, giving employment to many thousands of Nigerian youths. [Nairametrics]
In 2019, Bet9ja invested over N1 billion to take on the role of title sponsor of BBNaija, one of the most watched television events in sub-Saharan Africa. [BusinessDay]
The country's population of citizens includes a large and expanding youth demographic, creating a globally competitive large addressable markets for online betting. [BusinessDay]
Bet9ja was identified as Nigeria's second most visited website by Google in 2019, ahead of most major media and entertainment platforms. [Nairametrics]
Surprising Things About Bet9ja
Did you know that the platform was co-founded alongside Ayo Ojuroye, the executive currently holds the role of chief executive, while Soname occupies the position of chairman?
The company started as an physical operation in Ogun State, prior to moving to the web and nationally.
Remo Stars F.C., the club that Soname set up in 2004 under the name FC Dender, was rebranded and moved from Lagos to Ogun State to reflect the founder's pride in his roots.
The YOHAIG promo code provides first-time bettors a sign-up bonus on their first deposit, which makes it a highly competitive welcome deals in Nigeria at present.
Soname became the first Nigerian to own a European football club when he acquired a 70% share of Clube Desportivo Feirense in 2015 through his company Tavistock Global Resource Limited.
Bet9ja signed a deal with global data provider Sportradar and casino content provider NetEnt to deepen both its odds accuracy and its casino and virtual games catalogue.
The Bet9ja chairman has also established BLFA, a grassroots football development initiative aimed at invest in youth talent as a social intervention.
Whether you're a long-time Bet9ja customer or are discovering the platform for the first time, knowing the story behind Bet9ja adds context to why Bet9ja has become the dominant force it is in the market. New members should check the YOHAIG promo code to claim a sign-up bonus — check out the latest YOHAIG listing to see the current offer.
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)
