As leaders of their people, Nigerian kings are supposed to live good lives that show the pride, culture, and heritage of their people. Ni...
Nigeria is home to many countries, and each one has a powerful king or queen who is admired and respected. People who live under these rich kings usually think of them as honorable people.
It's not a surprise that some of them show up to important events with long lines of fancy cars. Over time, many of them have made huge fortunes, which has made them even more powerful and rich as rulers.
Here is a list of Nigeria's 15 richest kings.
1. Oba Obateru Akinrutan Fortune magazine says that Obateru Akinrutan, the Olugbo of Ugbo Kingdom in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, is the richest king in Nigeria. His net worth is $300 million. The king, who was born in 1950, has built an empire by putting money into real estate, oil, and gas.
He opened Obat Oil in 1981 and is the founder of the company, which now has over 50 gas stations in Nigeria. It is thought that Oba Akinrutan is worth about $300 million, making him the second richest king in Africa, after King Mohammed VI of Morocco.
The monarch is known for living a fancy life. He bought a $1 million watch one time and made news when he was the first black man to buy a 2014 Bentley. In addition to a custom-built 2012 Rolls-Royce that is the same as the one Queen Elizabeth II drives, he also has a Bentley Mulsanne worth more than ₦100 million.
Aside from his royal tasks, Oba Akinrutan is still one of the most talked-about kings and queens in Nigeria because of his wealth and flashy taste.
2. Sa'adu Abubakar, who is the Sultan of Sokoto, $100 million
Sa'adu Abubakar is the 20th Sultan of Sokoto and the spiritual leader of all Muslims in Nigeria. Abubakar is a direct son of Sheikh Usman Dan Fodio, who started the Sokoto Caliphate more than 200 years ago. He carries on a family tradition that has roots in the Qadiri order of Sufism and the Maliki school of Islam.
After his brother Muhammadu Maccido died in the terrible ADC Airlines Flight 53 crash on November 2, 2006, he took the throne.
Under the title of Sultan, Abubakar has a lot of power and money. The government, institutions, and Muslim groups in the north and across Nigeria all back him up.
The Sultan is known for being very rich. He has a Rolls-Royce and is one of Nigeria's richest rulers, with an estimated $100 million net worth.
3. Oba Saheed Ademola Elegushi - $90M
The 21st king of Ikate Kingdom, Oba Saheed Ademola Elegushi, has continued to get respect for being young and living a flashy life. He became king at the age of 34, making him one of Nigeria's youngest kings. The Lagos monarch has made big investments in real estate and hospitality, and his expensive goods show how rich he is. His royal house is thought to be worth ₦900 million, and he owns a Rolls-Royce and a Bentley Mulsanne worth more than ₦300 million each.
Oba Elegushi is also famous for having great taste in fashion items. His collection of wristwatches is said to be worth nearly ₦1.9 billion. There is a Richard Mille worth ₦304 million, a Franck Muller worth ₦177 million, a Rolex Sky-Dweller Everose Gold worth ₦113 million, and even an Apple Watch said to be worth ₦950 million in his collection.
Many Nigerians have praised him as one of the country's most stylish and wealthy traditional leaders on social media because of how much money he showed off.
4. Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja, also known as the Obadan of Ibadan, - $80 million
It is said that Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja is the fourth richest king in Nigeria. The 44th Olubadan of Ibadanland was crowned on Friday, September 26, 2025, at Mapo Hall in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. He used to be governor of Oyo State.
Rashidi Ladoja was born in Gambari Village, which is close to Ibadan. He went to Ibadan Boys High School from 1958 to 1963 and then Olivet Baptist High School from 1964 to 1965 for his early schooling. After that, he went to the University of Liège in Belgium and studied Chemical Engineering from 1966 to 1972.
Ladoja started his working life at Total Nigeria, where he did a variety of jobs for 13 years before going into private business in 1985. He was an entrepreneur in shipping, banking, farming, manufacturing, transportation, and more. He had reached another important point in his long and successful work by the year 2000, when he was named a director at Standard Trust Bank Limited.
Rasheed Ladoja has built and run a number of great businesses in Nigeria's most important economic areas over the years.
He has a real estate construction business that builds homes and businesses in Lagos, Ibadan, Abuja, and even other countries. He has also put a lot of money into farming and runs big farms in Oyo and nearby states that raise crops and animals.
Ladoja also has a stake in manufacturing and runs companies that make both industrial goods and consumer goods. He also works in the construction industry, with companies working on roadwork, housing, and other infrastructure projects. Besides that, the former governor has interests in oil and gas, offering consulting services and partnerships in the downstream sector. He also imports and trades goods, especially cars, trucks, and consumer goods.
Along with his political work, Ladoja has made a name for himself as a strong businessman through these ventures. He is worth 80 million dollars.
5. Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi Enitan, also known as the "Ooni of Ife," is thought to be the most powerful king in Yorubaland by many experts. He is worth $70 million.
The Ooni was born on October 17, 1974. He is a respected traditional leader and a successful businessman with investments in many areas. His new ways of doing business and dedication to social duty have made him famous all over the world.
Oba Ogunwusi has a good education. He finished from The Polytechnic, Ibadan with honors in accounting. He is a well-known member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria and is the Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka at the moment.
Before he became king in 2015, he was a well-known figure in Nigeria's business world. He represented the wealth of Yoruba culture and earned a lot of respect both inside and outside of Nigeria. The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi Enitan, is known for his taste in luxury cars, and his collection includes some of the most prestigious foreign models. One of his most prized items is a 2011 Rolls-Royce Phantom, which is thought to be one of the most luxurious in his collection.
Besides the Rolls-Royce, he also has a Mercedes-Benz S550 and two Bentleys, which show how expensive his life is.
The Ooni is one of the wealthiest kings in Nigeria. His net worth is thought to be around $70 million.
6. Oba Ewuare II Ogidigan, also known as "The Oba of Benin," is one of the five richest kings in Nigeria. He is the respected traditional master of the Benin Kingdom and has a net worth of $65 million. As the 40th Oba of Benin, he has a lot of power, authority, and influence, both inside and outside his kingdom.
The king or queen has a degree in economics from the University of Wales in the UK and a master's degree in public administration from Rutgers University in New Jersey, USA. Before becoming king or queen, he was Nigeria's ambassador to several other countries, which raised his image around the world.
Oba Ewuare II continues to combine traditional leadership with modern ways of doing things from his home in a beautiful palace that met global royal standards. He was made Chancellor of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) in April 2024. He most recently named Chief Emmanuel Iyase as the new Okao Eguae over important parts of Benin on March 31, 2025. The king is very dedicated to preserving culture and traditions. He opened a state-of-the-art culture center in Benin in March 2025, adding to his reputation as a protector of heritage.
The Oba of Benin owns a number of high-end cars, including a 2016 Rolls-Royce Phantom that is worth more than ₦150 million. Oba Ewuare II Ogidigan is still one of Nigeria's richest and most powerful traditional rulers. His total net worth is $65 million.
7. Lamido Sanusi Lamido, also known as "The Emir of Kano," has a net worth of $65 million. Emir Sanusi Lamido Sanusi's rise to and fall from the throne of the ancient Kano Emirate was shaped by political battles at both the state and national levels.
Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, who was governor at the time, made Sanusi the 14th Emir of Kano on June 9, 2014. Many people thought that his hiring was an attempt to get back at the government of former President Goodluck Jonathan. Only a few months before, on February 2, 2014, Jonathan's government fired Sanusi as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria because he said that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) didn't send $20 billion in oil revenues to the government, which the presidency denied. Sanusi's reign ended quickly on March 9, 2020, when Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje removed him from office, officially citing disobeying orders and breaking the law. Many people, though, said it was because of politics. Sanusi had been a vocal critic of Ganduje's policies, and she was seen as mixing traditional leadership with social action.
On May 23, 2024, four years later, history repeated itself when Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf signed a bill that got rid of the 15th Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero, and the five emirates that Ganduje had set up. This made it possible for Sanusi to become Emir again. Analysts think that this decision was not only about following tradition, but also about continuing the fight for power between former governors Abdullahi Ganduje and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso. Sanusi is once again in the middle of Kano's political chess game. He supposedly makes N14Million a month as an emir and has a lot of expensive cars. Sanusi recently bought a brand-new Rolls-Royce, which made a lot of people in Nigeria angry because it's worth a lot of money.
Besides the fancy car, he also has an old 1952 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith ALW 11, which has been passed down through generations of Kano Emirs.
8. Obi Nnaemeka Alfred Ugochukwu of Onitsha – $55 MillionObi Nnaemeka Alfred Ugochukwu Achebe has been the Obi of Onitsha since 2002. He is a Harvard graduate and a former Shell executive who has made big investments in oil, gas, real estate, and cultural tourism. His net worth is thought to be $55 million, which comes from land royalties, cultural charges, and business investments. He also has a fleet of cars that includes a Rolls-Royce and a Lexus GX.
9. Ogiame Atuwatse III (Orlu of Warri) has a net worth of $50 million. He is the traditional leader of Warri and is the ninth richest king in Nigeria. After being crowned in 2021 after his predecessor, Ogiame Ikenwoli, died, he quickly became one of the most powerful kings in the country. In March 2025, he showed his love for art and culture by opening an exhibition by Dr. John Edwin Debebs.
Ogiame Atuwatse III is known to love high-end cars. He has a great collection of them, including a Rolls-Royce Phantom, a Mercedes-Benz S-Class, and a Lexus LX 570. It is thought that he is worth $50 million.
10. It is said that Oba Babatunde Aremu Akiolu, also known as "The Oba of Lagos," is worth $40 million. He is the eighth richest king in Nigeria and one of the most powerful native leaders in the country.
Has an LL.B. from the University of Lagos. Before becoming king, Oba Akiolu worked for 32 years in the Nigerian Police Force. His castle, which is worth more than ₦2 billion, shows how important and powerful he is.
A 2016 Mercedes-Benz S550 worth more than ₦34 million is one of the many expensive things the monarch of Lagos owns. He met with President Bola Tinubu in January 2025, which showed how close the government is to the traditional organization.
10. Oba Babatunde Aremu Akiolu (The Oba of Lagos) - Net worth - $40 because he has a lot of great businesses and properties. It is said that Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo III, also known as the "Alake of Egbaland," is worth $15 million. He was born on September 14, 1943, into the ancient Laarun Ruling House and is known as the "Alake of Egbaland." His royal family tree goes back a long way. He is the grandson of Oba Gbadebo, the sixth Alake of Egbaland (1898–1920), the nephew of Oba Gbadebo II, and the great-grandson of Okukenu, the first Alake of Egbaland. His family tree goes back to Laarun, who ruled in the early 1700s, through Okukenu. This makes Laarun his 5x-great-grandfather.
Later, Gbadebo went to Baptist Boys' High School in Abeokuta and Ibadan Grammar School. In 1965, he transferred to the University of Ibadan and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree there in 1969.
Soon after, he joined the Nigerian Army and had an amazing time in the service. Between 1978 and 1979, he went to the famous Command and Staff College in Jaji. Later, he worked his way up and became the Principal Staff Officer to Major-General Tunde Idiagbon, who was Chief of Staff at the Supreme Headquarters in Dodan Barracks, from 1984 to 1985.
He got out of the army as a Colonel and retired before he fully took on his job as a traditional leader. Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo is a respected leader in Egbaland who protects culture and custom. He does this by combining his royal heritage with the discipline he learned in the military.
He has been the Alake of Egbaland since 2005 and is worth $15 million thanks to land royalties and smart investments in education, leisure, and farming. His famous Alake Palace, which is worth more than 600 million naira, and his fancy Mercedes-Benz S-Class show that he is a king.
12. Alhaji Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli, a diplomat and lawyer, became the Amir of Zazzau in 2020, breaking a century-old custom by becoming the first Fulani ruler. He is worth $15 million. He lives a traditional Islamic life and has interests in real estate and farming. He also owns a Toyota Land Cruiser worth 50 million naira. Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli is made Emir of Zazzau by El-Rufai. It is said that the house of the Emir of Zazzau cost N1billion.
It was at Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria that Alhaji Ahmed studied law. He then went on to get a Master's degree in International Relations and Diplomacy and a diploma in Organizational Leadership from Oxford University. He is also a Fellow in Conflict Resolution at the University of York in the UK.
13. Oba Gabriel Adun Aromolaran, also known as "Owa Obokun of Ijeshaland," is worth $10 million.
There is a traditional ruler in Nigeria named Oba Gabriel adun aromolaran the second who has been in charge since 1980 and has a net worth of $10 million from interests in real estate and farming businesses. His house, which cost 400 million naira, and his Rolls-Royce Phantom, which is worth more than 200 million naira, show how rich he is.
14. Benjamin Ikinuku kak borui (Dein of Agbor): $10M in net worth
The Guinness Book of Records says that Benjamin Ikinuku kak Borui is the world's youngest king or queen. He was crowned at the age of 2. He owns a Bentley Continental GT and a Mercedes-Benz S 550 Maybach and is thought to be worth $10 million. He lives a modern yet royal life.
15. Victor Kiladejo, also known as "the Osemawe of Ondo Kingdom," is worth $10 million.
Oba Victor Kiladejo is the 44th Osemawe of Ondo Kingdom. He is a skilled doctor and has a net worth of $10 million from endorsements, royalties, and investments. His castle is a historical building worth more than 300 million naira, and he has a luxury Toyota Prado SUV in his royal fleet.
Finally, Nigeria's traditional rulers are not only guardians of the country's culture and history, but they are also very wealthy and powerful, which is how the list of the country's greatest kings came to be.
These kings and queens have left their mark on society in very different ways. Oba Obateru Akinrutan built a huge oil empire, Sultan Sa'adu Abubakar led with his spiritual power, and the Ooni of Ife combined tradition and business.
Along with their fancy lives, their investments in oil, real estate, agriculture, and hospitality show that they are both royal and good at business. These kings are still signs of power, prestige, and wealth in Nigeria because they are able to mix cultural leadership with modern wealth.