What makes the Yoruba tick (6), By Sunday Adelaja

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Key Investors and Ecosystem Builders

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• Kola Aina (Ventures Platform): A prominent venture capitalist investing in fintechs like Mono and PiggyVest.
• Maya Horgan Famodu (Ingressive Capital): Founder of a $60 million Lagos-based venture fund investing in tech startups.
• Olumide Soyombo (Voltron Capital): A renowned angel investor who has backed companies such as Paystack and PiggyVest.
• Dr Segun Aina: President of the Fintech Association of Nigeria and a major figure in developing the African fintech network.

It is on the basis of the above provided information that I make bold to say that the Yoruba is the most successful business ethnic group in Africa. Regarding the share numbers of billionaires by tribe and ethnic groups in Africa, the Yoruba stand head and shoulders above others.

In the process of preparing this article, I came across this list of the richest nationalities in Africa, which agrees with my research as well. Even though the internet is full of conflicting information and opinions on which is the richest group in Africa. The fact is that by the number of billionaires, the Yoruba people are most represented.

Top 10 Richest Nationalities in Africa

1. Yoruba, Nigeria
2. Zulu, South Africa
3. Pedi, South Africa
4. Hausa and Fulani, Nigeria
5. Suri, Ethiopia and Sudan
6. Igbo, Nigeria
7. Ashanti, Ghana
8. El Molo, Kenya
9. Xhosa, South Africa
10. Oromo, Ethiopia

It’s a common perception that many of Nigeria’s dollar-denominated billionaires are Yoruba, but the reality is a bit more nuanced. The very richest individual, Aliko Dangote, is not Yoruba, and there are other major wealthy figures across all regions of Nigeria.

That said, the South-West (Yoruba region) has produced a disproportionately high number of very wealthy business people. This is not accidental; it comes from a combination of history, values, geography, culture, and systems.

Let’s break it down properly.

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1. Structured Entrepreneurship (Not Just Trading)

The Yoruba business culture tends to emphasise:

• Formal structures,
• Corporate systems,
• Professional management.

So instead of just:

• Trading small → staying small,

You get:

• Scaling,
• Incorporation,
• Institutional growth.

This is how you move from “rich” to billionaire-level wealth.

2. Network and Institution and Institution Combination

Yoruba success is not just about individuals, it’s about systems.

They combine:

• Business networks,
• Political access,
• Professional services (lawyers, bankers),
• Social structures (clubs, associations).

This creates:

Repeatable wealth-building ecosystems.

3. Business Relationships that Scale 
4. Lower Barriers to Entry for Partnerships

Their tolerance reduces “who can we work with?” constraints. Deals are judged more by:

• Competence,
• Delivery,
• Reputation,

than by identity.

Effect:

Faster deal formation and access to a wider pool of partners.

1. Multi-Network Advantage

Instead of one tight, closed network, Yoruba professionals often maintain:

• cross-tribal links,
• cross-sector ties,
• international contacts.

Effect:

More deal flow, more optionality, and resilience if one network dries up.

1. Commercial Pragmatism

In trade-heavy environments, the guiding question becomes:

“Can we do business together?”

This pragmatism, common in Lagos prioritizes outcomes over identity.

Effect:

Transactions happen even in diverse or tense contexts.

4. Global Compatibility 

Tolerance translates well internationally:

• easier cultural adaptation,
• smoother collaboration with foreign partners,
• credibility in multinational settings.

Effect:

Yoruba-led ventures plug into global markets more easily (finance, consulting, tech, trade, etc.).

5. Negotiation As a Core Skill 

Historically, Yoruba governance emphasised councils and checks (e.g. traditions from the Oyo Empire). That legacy favours:

• dialogue over deadlock,
• compromise over zero-sum outcomes.

Effect:

More deals get closed; fewer relationships burn.

6. Trust Built On Performance (Not Identity)

In more closed systems, trust starts with “Are you one of us?”

In Yoruba networks, it more often starts with:

• “Can you deliver?”

Effect:

High performers, regardless of background people can rise and integrate quickly.

7. Diversification = Resilience 

Because relationships span groups and sectors:

• shocks in one area (political, sectoral) don’t collapse the whole network,
• alternatives are easier to find.

Effect:

Businesses and alliances are more shock-resistant.

Let’s examine other more natural factors that have helped the Yoruba nation advance in world level business and entrepreneurship

1. The Lagos Factor (Most Important)

The biggest reason is simple:

Control proximity to Lagos, and you are close to wealth creation.

Lagos is:

• Nigeria’s financial centre
• Home to major banks, ports, and corporations
• Entry point for imports, exports, and capital

Yoruba people are:

• indigenous to Lagos and surrounding states,
• deeply embedded in its economy.

Result:

• early access to opportunities,
• better positioning for scale,
• stronger deal flow.

2. Early Education Advantage

The Yoruba region embraced Western education earlier than most parts of Nigeria.

This produced:

• lawyers,
• accountants,
• bankers,
• administrators,

…earlier than other regions.

Why this matters:

• These professions are the gateway to high-level business and capital.

3. Urbanisation and Market Size

The South-West is:

• highly urbanised,
• densely populated,
• commercially active.

This creates:

• large consumer markets,
• fast business cycles,
• scalable opportunities.

4. Cross-Tribal Business Flexibility

As we discussed earlier, Yoruba tolerance allows:

• partnerships across tribes,
• easier collaboration,
• access to wider markets.

This means:

• they are not limited to “their own group”,
• they can operate nationally and globally.

5. Access To Finance

Because of:

• proximity to Lagos,
• strong professional class,

Yoruba entrepreneurs often have:

• better access to banks,
• investor networks,
• structured financing.

This is critical:

Billionaires are created through leverage and scale, not just efforts.

6. Long-Term Thinking and Elite Reproduction

Wealth is not just created, it is reproduced across generations.

Yoruba elite systems:

• educate their children well,
• plug them into networks early,
• maintain continuity.

Result:

• sustained wealth accumulation,
• not one-off success.

7. Important Balance (Very Important)

The claim that “all Nigerian billionaires are Yoruba” is not entirely accurate.

Examples:

• Aliko Dangote → Hausa-Fulani
• Abdulsamad Rabiu → Northern
• Mike Adenuga → Yoruba
• Femi Otedola → Yoruba

The reality:

• Wealth exists across regions,
• but the Yoruba region produces many high-net-worth individuals consistently.

Deeper Insight 

To become a dollar billionaire, you typically need:

1. Access to large markets
2. Access to capital
3. Strong networks
4. Ability to scale businesses
5. Institutional support

The Yoruba region happens to combine all five more consistently than most.

Final Summary 

Yoruba people produce many very wealthy individuals because of their traditional and cultural value system, among other factors, like;

• they are closest to Lagos
• they had early access to education
• they build structured, scalable businesses
• they operate in open, flexible networks
• they have strong institutional ecosystems

Final Truth 

It’s not about ethnicity alone,

it’s about environment + systems + positioning.

The Yoruba happened to build a system where:

• opportunity is accessible,
• networks are wide,
• and scale is possible.

In my next article (Part 6) I’ll be writing on why the Yoruba build and pastor the largest churches worldwide. For The Love Of God, Church And Nation

Sunday Adelaja is a Nigerian born leader, transformation strategist, pastor and innovator. He was based in Ukraine