Nigeria may be recovering from recession but that doesn’t stop some people from making good money. More often than not, we are bombarded with lists of billionaires from this part of the world in the news.

These internationally acclaimed “money machines” are of the older generation with little or nothing being said about young Nigerians who have attained billionaire status. In acknowledgement of hard work amongst young people, we shall be putting the spotlight on some Nigerians who have worked against all odds to make something for themselves.

Here are 5 young emerging billionaires from Nigeria.


Ladi Delano


Ladi Delano is a 35-year old man from Nigeria who arguably became the youngest person to reach billionaire status, thanks to his liquor business. The serial entrepreneur cut his teeth in entrepreneurship at an early age. When he was barely 24, the ambitious young man started Solidarnosc Asia, an alcoholic beverage company in 2004. Solidarnosc began production of Solid XS which is a premium brand of Vodka. Delano is also the brain behind Bakrie Delano Africa.

Igho Sanomi



39-year old Igho Sanomi is a young Nigerian billionaire who made a chunk of his wealth from oil trading. He became a member of the billionaires club after establishing his oil trading company Taleveras in 2004 Taleveras is reported to sell millions of oil barrels on a daily basis and has some stakes in some Nigerian energy supply companies. If reports by Forbes hold water, Sanomi is undoubtedly one of the youngest billionaires from Nigeria. Source

Abiola Olaniran


Founder of gaming company Gamsole, Abiola Olaniran has proven that one doesn’t have to get old to become a billionaire. The 26-year old tech entrepreneur founded Gamsole way back in 2012, and it’s said to have venture backing from a Kenyan company 88mph. Gamsole has experienced tremendous growth over the years generating over 9 million downloads both locally and internationally.

Mark Essien



Hotels.ng is very popular amongst Nigerians. The online hotel booking platform is owned by 31-year old Mark Essien. With his innovation, people around the world can make hotel bookings from a selection of over 6000 hotels in Nigeria at their convenience. Catering to a pressing need of travellers, the company has grown rapidly, raising over $250,000 in funding from Spark Fund and other notable investors.

Rex Idaminabo


29-year old Rex Idaminabo is making a difference in the media industry. The CEO of Achievers Media, his organisation hosts African Achievers’ Awards, an annual event that gives well-deserved recognition to both individuals and organizations who have carved a niche for themselves and contributed to the development of the African continent. This international event generates over $1 million dollar annually. Idaminabo also co-founded Young CEOs Business Forum, and seats on the advisory board of the World Leaders Forum in Dubai.

In a society where majority of youths aren’t motivated to be innovative, it’s encouraging to see these young men doing great things in their different fields. They are good examples that with hard work, Nigerians can become billionaires regardless of how young they are.