Nigeria’s supermarket industry has evolved from a handful of neighbourhood grocery stores into a multi-billion-naira retail ecosystem serving millions of consumers every day. Behind this transformation are a group of entrepreneurs and business leaders who have redefined how Nigerians shop, introducing modern retail formats, organised supply chains and customer-focused experiences in an increasingly competitive market. From family-owned businesses that began as single storefronts to retail giants operating dozens of outlets across the country, these founders and managing directors have built brands that now shape consumer spending, create thousands of jobs and support local manufacturers and farmers. Their businesses have weathered economic downturns, currency volatility, rising inflation and shifting consumer preferences while continuing to expand into new cities and communities. Some pioneered organised retail long before international supermarket chains entered Nigeria, while others have disrupted the market with innovative concepts such as neighbourhood convenience stores, hard-discount grocery formats and integrated retail ecosystems that combine supermarkets, restaurants, manufacturing and shopping malls. This list profiles the founders, chairmen, chief executives and managing directors behind Nigeria’s largest supermarket chains by retail stores. Sunday Egede and David Ojei – Founders Prince Ebeano
No of stores – 9 Sunday Egede and David Ojei have built one of Nigeria’s most recognizable retail brands through resilience, discipline and an unwavering belief in entrepreneurship.
Although widely referred to as brothers, their relationship is rooted in family ties—Egede is Ojei’s maternal uncle. Yet, the pair have long described each other as brothers and friends, reflecting a partnership built on trust rather than titles. Egede’s entrepreneurial journey began in the early 1990s when he sold foodstuffs from a tiny room in Isolo, Lagos, using a wooden partition to separate his shop from his sleeping area. His determination laid the foundation for a thriving wholesale and retail business. Ojei followed a different path. After completing university and the National Youth Service Corps, he briefly worked in private security before leaving paid employment in 1998 to pursue business.
Despite losing his first trading capital, he rebuilt, opened a provision store in Shomolu, and steadily expanded. In 2009, the pair formalised their partnership, creating Prince Ebeano Supermarket. Today, the business stands as one of Nigeria’s leading indigenous retail chains while providing employment opportunities for hundreds of young Nigerians.In December 2021, Prince Ebeano extended its footprint internationally by opening a store in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada.
Sir Robert O. Anwatu –Founder/CEO Roban Stores
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No of stores-10 Sir Robert O.
Anwatu did not set out to build one of southeastern Nigeria’s recognised retail and hospitality businesses. Trained as an accountant, his career began in banking and public accounting before he traded balance sheets for shop shelves. After completing his National Youth Service Corps in Benin, Anwatu launched his entrepreneurial journey in 1985 with a small gift shop known as Robnat Gift. Two years later, the business was incorporated as Ultimate Gift Ltd., marking the beginning of a steady expansion. By 1989, the company had opened a second outlet in Warri before relocating operations to Enugu in 1990. The business evolved again in 1999 when Ultimate Gift was rebranded as Roban Stores.
That same year, Anwatu founded Roban Group, that would grow into a diversified enterprise spanning retail and hospitality through Roban Stores and Roban Hotels. Before becoming an entrepreneur, Anwatu built experience in finance, working at Union Bank then known as Barclays Bank between 1976 and 1977 before joining Charles Cole & Co., a certified public accounting firm in Little Rock, Arkansas, from 1982 to 1983. His academic background includes both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Accountancy from the University of Arkansas. Beyond business, Anwatu has maintained an active presence in public service and civic leadership. A Knight of the Good Shepherd, he has served on Enugu State’s Local Economic Empowerment Programme (LEEMP) advisory committee, led the Enugu Chamber of Commerce as president, and also served as president of the Rotary Club of New Haven. Haresh Keswani –Founder/GMD Artee Group
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Owners of Spar Nigeria No of stores-16 Haresh Keswani is the founder and Group Managing Director of Artee Group, the diversified consumer business behind SPAR Nigeria, one of the country’s largest supermarket chains. Since establishing Artee Group in 1998 as a wholesale business, Keswani has transformed it into a major player in Nigeria’s retail, real estate, manufacturing and shopping mall sectors.
Under his leadership, Artee Group secured the master franchise for SPAR International, introducing the global supermarket brand to Nigeria and expanding it into a network of more than 15 hypermarkets and supermarkets across Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and other major cities. Through SPAR Nigeria, the company serves millions of consumers with groceries, fresh produce, household goods, electronics and lifestyle products, helping shape the country’s modern retail landscape. Beyond supermarkets, Keswani has driven Artee Group’s expansion into shopping mall development, opening its first mall in Port Harcourt in 2014 and pursuing additional projects nationwide. The group has also diversified its retail portfolio through partnerships with Dubai-based Landmark Group, bringing brands including Babyshop, Lifestyle and Splash to Nigeria. His long-term strategy has positioned Artee Group as one of Nigeria’s leading consumer-focused conglomerates, with a business model spanning retail, real estate and manufacturing. Dr. Mark Akhabue – Founder/MD Jendol Superstores
No of stores-16 Dr.
Mark Akhabue is the founder and Managing Director of JENDOL Nigeria Limited, the company behind JENDOL Superstores and JENDOL Petroleum. He launched the first JENDOL Superstore in Lagos in November 2016 alongside his wife and Executive Director, Oluwakemi Akhabue, growing the business into one of Nigeria’s fast-expanding indigenous retail chains with more than a dozen outlets across Lagos and Ogun states. Before venturing into entrepreneurship, Akhabue built a distinguished career in finance across the aviation, oil and gas, and healthcare sectors. He served as Financial Controller at Hygeia Nigeria Limited, operators of Lagoon Hospitals, after holding senior finance roles at Advantium Oil and Gas and Virgin Nigeria Airlines, where he rose to Head of Treasury. He began his professional journey as Finance Manager at Rail Ad Limited in 2000. A trained accountant, Akhabue holds a bachelor’s degree in Accounting, an MBA, and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) as well as a member of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria. He also received an honorary Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) degree in recognition of his contributions to business leadership.
Under his leadership, JENDOL has expanded beyond retail into petroleum marketing and other consumer-focused businesses. Sola Sun-Basorun –Founder Foodco
No of stores-22 Mrs. Sola Sun-Basorun is the founder of FoodCo Nigeria, one of the country’s leading indigenous retail and consumer goods companies. She began the business in 1981 as a modest fresh fruit and vegetable store in Ibadan while working at the University of Ibadan. Inspired by modern retail formats she had seen abroad and determined to build a similar business in Nigeria, she officially launched FoodCo as a supermarket in 1982 with a N5,000 bank loan.
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Over four decades, Sun-Basorun transformed FoodCo from a neighbourhood grocery into a diversified consumer business spanning supermarkets, restaurants, entertainment centres and food manufacturing. Despite a major setback in the early 2000s that forced the closure of multiple outlets, she rebuilt the company from a single surviving store in Bodija, laying the foundation for its subsequent expansion. Today, FoodCo operates more than 20 outlets across Oyo, Lagos and Ogun states and employs hundreds of Nigerians. In 2020, she transitioned to the role of Chairman, handing over executive leadership to her son, Ade Sun-Basorun, who now serves as Chief Executive Officer.
Under the family’s leadership, FoodCo has been recognised by the Financial Times as one of Africa’s fastest-growing companies and remains one of Nigeria’s most successful homegrown modern retail brands. Tayo Amusan: Chairman Ketron Investment Limited
Owners of ShopRite No of stores-26 Tayo Amusan is the founder and Chairman of Persianas Group, Nigeria’s largest indigenous retail and commercial real estate developer, and Chairman of Ketron Investment Limited, the investment consortium that acquired Shoprite’s Nigerian operations in 2021. A pioneer of modern retail infrastructure, Amusan is widely credited with developing The Palms Shopping Mall in Lagos, Nigeria’s first international-standard shopping mall, which helped transform the country’s organised retail landscape. With more than three decades of experience in property development, Amusan has overseen the expansion of Persianas Group into a nationwide portfolio of shopping malls and retail businesses. Through Persianas Retail, the group has introduced and managed international brands including Puma, Lacoste and Hugo Boss, while also expanding its homegrown retail footprint.
Under his leadership, Ketron Investment spearheaded the transition of Shoprite Nigeria into a fully Nigerian-owned business, integrating the supermarket chain with Persianas’ retail operations. Beyond retail, Amusan is a key investor in The Arena Lagos, a 12,000-capacity sports and entertainment venue expected to redefine live entertainment in Africa. His work has made him one of the leading figures shaping Nigeria’s retail, real estate and consumer sectors. Ebele Enunwa- Founder Market Square
No of stores- 36 Ebele Enunwa is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Sundry Markets Limited, the company behind Market Square, one of Nigeria’s fastest-growing indigenous supermarket chains. He launched the retail brand in 2015 with the ambition of building a modern grocery network that delivers quality products and affordable prices across the country. Today, Market Square operates more than 40 outlets in multiple states, making it one of Nigeria’s largest homegrown supermarket brands. Before entering retail, Enunwa built a successful career in banking, serving as Regional Manager at Stanbic IBTC, where he oversaw business operations across Nigeria’s South-South and South-East regions.
In 2005, he founded Sundry Foods Limited, the operator of the popular Kilimanjaro restaurant chain, before expanding into grocery retail through Sundry Markets. A graduate of Accounting from the University of Ilorin, Enunwa also holds a master’s degree in Hospitality Management from Cornell University. Under his leadership, Sundry Markets has continued to expand aggressively, combining retail innovation with local sourcing to strengthen Nigeria’s organised retail sector while creating thousands of jobs across its supermarket and food service businesses. Dr. Ayodele Aderinwale & Mrs Oluwatosin Aderinwale – Founders Justrite
No of stores-40 Dr. Ayodele (Ayo) Aderinwale, MFR, is the co-founder and Chairman of Justrite Limited, one of Nigeria’s leading indigenous supermarket chains.
Established in 2000 alongside his wife, Mrs. Oluwatosin Aderinwale, the business has grown from a neighbourhood retail outlet into a modern supermarket chain with up to 40 stores across Lagos, Ogun and Osun states, serving thousands of customers with groceries, household essentials and consumer goods. Beyond retail, Aderinwale is a respected development specialist and governance expert.
He serves as Executive Director of the Africa Leadership Forum (ALF), where he has led initiatives on leadership development, governance reform and entrepreneurship across Africa. He holds degrees in Political Science and Political Economy from the University of Lagos and has completed executive leadership programmes at Harvard University and the United Nations University. Under the leadership of Dr. Aderinwale and Managing Director Mrs. Oluwatosin Aderinwale, Justrite has attracted institutional investment, including a minority stake from AfricInvest, to accelerate expansion, strengthen governance and digitalise operations.
The company has become one of Nigeria’s fastest-growing family-owned retailers, supporting local suppliers, creating jobs and expanding access to affordable consumer goods across southwestern Nigeria. Note: Two of Nigeria’s largest supermarket chains by store count Bokku! Mart (over 150 stores) and Addide Supermarket (36 stores) were excluded from this list because Nairametrics could not independently verify their founders or ownership. Efforts to get confirmation of the ownership from the companies proved abortive as messages sent to the companies have not been responded to as of the time of this report.
