By Clement Abayomi
Some names go beyond their literal meaning and slip into everyday conversation. One such name is “Baba Ijebu”, the popular moniker for Premier Lotto Limited, a Nigerian gaming company that specialises in lotto games and operates a sportsbook nationwide through retail agents and online.
For those who play, it’s a game of chance: each draw selects five numbers from 1 to 90. You pick numbers and a bet type; you win if your selection matches the draw according to that bet’s rules. These activities have become popular among youths and adults in Nigeria, particularly in the southern part of the country, where the founder hails from.
The founder, Chief Kessington Adebukunola Adebutu, was born into a humble household on 24 October 1935. He became well known for his diligence, business sense and deep understanding of the Nigerian market. His education began at Ijero Baptist School, Apapa Road, Ebute-Metta, Lagos, before he transferred to Baptist Academy, Lagos, in 1951. In 1955, he completed his secondary education at Remo Secondary School, Sagamu, Ogun State, where he earned top marks in the School Leaving Certificate Examination. This early thirst for knowledge and excellence shaped his later entrepreneurship and strengthened his conviction that education is a powerful tool for lasting change.
Chief Adebutu’s entry into the gaming industry grew out of his commercial experience. He officially founded Premier Lotto in 2001. Known nationwide as “Baba Ijebu”, the business began with a single pool shop and progressively grew into a sizeable network of more than 200 main agents and 16,000 retail agents across Western Nigeria. Premier Lotto is licensed by state gaming authorities and currently offers over 20 lotto games, becoming firmly ingrained in Nigerian society without relying heavily on conventional marketing.
Research published on the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) platform reports that 54% of Nigerians aged 17–35 have gambled, and that more than half of school-age children have tried gambling at least once. Evidence also links youth gambling with reduced study time, poorer performance and behavioural issues at school.
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Chief Adebutu has often faced criticism that his business is exploitative. He has repeatedly rejected this characterisation. According to Vanguard, in an interview he said: “I keep saying that gaming is the stock exchange of the ordinary man on the street… when you game, you can win or lose but, at least, it gives the ordinary man hope and that stops them from any nonsense. We have also taken so many thugs off the streets,” he stated.
Premier Lotto is among the most consistent companies when it comes to giving back to society. Its charitable work is largely channelled through the Kessington Adebukunola Adebutu Foundation, which supports healthcare, education, and welfare for the less privileged. Recently, it donated a state-of-the-art radio station to Olabisi Onabanjo University; an ultra-modern centre to the University of Lagos; the Alhaja Seliat Adebutu Library and the Sir Kessington Adebutu Science Laboratory to Crescent University; a new building for Remo Methodist High School; and a block of classrooms to Gaskiya College in Badiya, Lagos. In recognition of his contributions to education and national development, Olabisi Onabanjo University conferred on Chief Kessington Adebutu an honorary Doctor of Business Administration degree in October 2015.
Yet the Adebutu family’s influence does not end with gaming and philanthropy. The family has also established a strong presence in Nigeria’s banking sector, particularly through Wema Bank Plc. Chief Adebutu is described as a major shareholder in the bank, reportedly holding 28.15% (now 28.26%, according to MarketScreener). His daughter, Abolanle Matel-Okoh, is frequently cited as one of the largest female shareholders of a publicly quoted company in Nigeria. As at 31 December 2024, she was reported to own a combined 7,029,759,270 shares in Wema Bank—comprising 972,669,052 direct shares and 6,057,090,218 indirect shares—representing approximately 32.8% of the bank.
Chief Kessington Adebutu is widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s most influential businessmen. Premier Lotto remains one of the country’s most recognisable and culturally ingrained gaming brands, and the family’s financial investments ensure their continued relevance in business and finance. His impact, however, goes beyond profit. He has supported organisations—from libraries and universities to community infrastructure and health centres—that will outlive him.
“Baba Ijebu” is more than a name on a lotto ticket. It is the story of a man who grew a small gaming business into a major enterprise, used his wealth to uplift communities and built a family presence across several sectors of the Nigerian economy. His career invites both commendation and controversy in a country where business success often attracts public scrutiny. Whether one sees lotto as a manipulative gamble or, in Adebutu’s words, “the stock exchange of the ordinary man”, it is impossible to deny its lasting influence on Nigeria’s economic history, social life and popular culture.
