Sir Kensington Adebutu Adebukunola
owner of baba Ijebu is birth to late Alhaji Karimu Folarin Adebutu also known as
"Owo_iya" and late Alhaja Saliat Olasimbo Adebutu from
Iperu-Remo, Ikenne Local government in Ogun State on the 24th of October 1935. He
attended Wesley primary Iperu and Ijero Baptist school in the Apapa area of
Ebute Metta Lagos and finished in the year 1950. After turning
down a scholarship offer to be a trained teacher at Iwo Baptist College, he
started work at cable and wireless Ltd now known as NITEL later to be a sales
manager and regional overseer at Claflin Chemical Ltd, a pharmaceutical company
whose company produced the popular Andrew liver salt.
His stay at the pharmaceutical
company unknowingly opened the window of opportunity to Adebutu, as he amassed
significant business connections and skills while handling various
responsibilities at the pharmaceutical company. He later started his company,
Face-to-Face Million Dollar Pools Limited.
“I felt bad that the expatriates were
regarded as my bosses. That was what spurred me on to be on my own. I wanted a
job of my own. The money was not there. I couldn’t have gone into the
pharmaceutical business; it was capital intensive. I had to look for a business
that required the least minimum of funds or even nothing. The only thing that
came to my head was to be a pool agent.”
The new
Odole Oodua of Ife, Balogun Dodondawa Born into a family of entrepreneurs, the Premier Lotto boss had
his business plans cut out early in life. He opted for a pool business since
he could not afford the capital to start a big enterprise. The first pool shop
was located at 8, Bale Street, Alakara, Idi-Oro in Lagos, and it had only a
table, paper, and biro.
He enjoyed good patronage because his brother was a well-known landlord in the area. Also, the pool business requires a lot of honesty and integrity and his customers found him trustworthy enough to handle their money. In less than a year, he had opened 2 additional pool outlets and later, his pool betting business metamorphosed into a lotto business. Adebutu’s Premier Lotto Ltd was incorporated in 2001 and has grown into a mega-franchise which boasts of 200 principal agents overseeing 16,000 retail gaming representatives sprawled across western Nigeria. The Lotto company widely boasts of its impact on reduced unemployment among the teeming Nigerian youths. This it does by engaging the Nigerian youth population at different stages of the business value chain. With interest predominantly among the male population cutting across all age groups, the lotto industry has become a budding venture. 'Baba Ijebu'is a 'Remonian'
He enjoyed good patronage because his brother was a well-known landlord in the area. Also, the pool business requires a lot of honesty and integrity and his customers found him trustworthy enough to handle their money. In less than a year, he had opened 2 additional pool outlets and later, his pool betting business metamorphosed into a lotto business. Adebutu’s Premier Lotto Ltd was incorporated in 2001 and has grown into a mega-franchise which boasts of 200 principal agents overseeing 16,000 retail gaming representatives sprawled across western Nigeria. The Lotto company widely boasts of its impact on reduced unemployment among the teeming Nigerian youths. This it does by engaging the Nigerian youth population at different stages of the business value chain. With interest predominantly among the male population cutting across all age groups, the lotto industry has become a budding venture. 'Baba Ijebu'is a 'Remonian'
Alongside his betting business, Sir
Kensington juggles a construction company named Arbico Plc, where he doubles as
the Chairman of the building construction/engineering company. The construction
firm is listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. Sir Adebutu enjoys 69.9%
shareholding if the construction company.
Not only is Sir Kensington a
successful business mogul, but he also continues to contribute his quota to
humanity. The Kensington Adebukunola Adebutu Foundation (KAAF), Medical
Laboratory and Maternity Centre was established in 2005 to contribute to the
cause of humanity. It is a fully equipped medical facility with state of the art
equipment and qualified personnel.
Baba Ijebu is a recipient of several awards; among them are: Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) and Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) both conferred by the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Baba Ijebu is a recipient of several awards; among them are: Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) and Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) both conferred by the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Baba Ijebu is a polygamist and
acknowledges the fact that his love for women is one of his weaknesses.
“I am very weak when it comes to
women. If I see a woman I like, I make sure I take her as a wife. I don’t waste
time at all. I don’t like to play games. If I like a woman, I talk to her and
eventually, I take her as my wife. That is why I have so many wives.”
He is a gentle family man and has
committed his resources to the education of his children, many of whom are
directors in his company, politicians, and successful businessmen.
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