Who’s Richer? Comparing Businesses Owned by Obafemi Martins and Yakubu Aiyegbeni
- Both former Super Eagles strikers Obafemi Martins and Yakubu Aiyegbeni have built multi-million dollar business empires after retiring from football
- Martins has poured his wealth into nightlife, real estate across Lagos, fashion, and a luxury estate in Italy, with a net worth estimated between $25m and $35m
- Aiyegbeni's investments span sports management, oil and gas, and property in Nigeria and the UK, with his net worth put between $14.5m and $27m
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Two of Nigeria's most celebrated forwards have spent their post-football years building businesses as aggressively as they once chased goals, and the numbers behind their empires reveal just how differently each man has deployed his career earnings.
Yakubu Aiyegbeni was the more prolific goalscorer overall, while Obafemi Martins boasted a higher international scoring efficiency.
Source: Getty Images
Both players stand as legendary Super Eagles strikers, but they possessed entirely different playing styles.
Yakubu ("The Yak") relied on strength and clinical finishing inside the box, whereas Martins ("Obagoal") devastated defenders with his world-class pace and electric athleticism.
While Yakubu scored more total goals (21) for the Super Eagles, ranking him as Nigeria’s third joint-highest scorer of all time, Martins was more lethal on a per-game basis.
As seen on Transfermarkt, Martins scored 18 goals in just 42 caps (a 0.43 ratio), compared to Yakubu’s 21 goals in 58 caps (a 0.36 ratio).
After retirement, the two-ex-Super Eagles strikers have ventured into various businesses and are doing pretty well for themselves.
Obafemi Martins' business interests
Martins, whose acrobatic backflip celebrations made him one of the most recognisable Nigerians to play in the English Premier League and Serie A, carries an estimated net worth of between $25 million and $35 million, accumulated across spells in Europe, the United States, and China.
His largest concentration of wealth sits in Lagos real estate.
According to the Vanguard, Martins holds more than 20 properties spread across Lekki, Victoria Garden City, Ajah, Festac, Ikeja, and Iju. He also retains a private estate in Como, Italy, where he played for Inter Milan.
On the nightlife side, Martins and his wife Nadine co-own Cosa Nostra, a luxury Italian-themed club on Victoria Island valued at over ₦800 million.
Before that, his holding company, 143 Entertainment, launched BayRock Lifestyle, an upscale gentlemen's club in Lekki that first established his footprint in Lagos's nightlife economy.
Beyond Nigeria, Martins runs a clothing line in the United States, with designs rooted in the signature backflip celebrations that defined his playing career.
He also serves as a global brand ambassador for sports betting platform PariPesa and funds youth football academies and educational support for underprivileged children through the Obafemi Martins Foundation.
Yakubu Aiyegbeni's business portfolio
Yakubu Aiyegbeni, known throughout his career simply as "The Yak," built much of his financial base during a move to Guangzhou R&F in China in 2015, where he reportedly earned over £5 million per year.
His current net worth is estimated at between $14.5 million and $27 million.
Unlike Martins, whose investments lean heavily towards entertainment, Aiyegbeni has spread his capital across sports management, energy, and property.
He founded Wilbury Sports Management, an agency focused on identifying and developing African athletes and coaches, with operations reaching into Cyprus.
The agency also runs a dedicated training facility in Florida.
In Nigeria, Aiyegbeni owns a network of petrol stations concentrated in his home city of Benin, alongside several hospitality businesses in the same area.
His property holdings include luxury mansions in both Nigeria and the United Kingdom.
Aiyegbeni is also a long-term global ambassador for sports betting operator Interwetten, a partnership built on his Premier League legacy that includes a dedicated feature known as the "Yakubu Tip" for markets across sub-Saharan Africa.
Taken together, Martins holds the higher net worth ceiling by most estimates, though both men rank among the most financially accomplished players ever produced by the Super Eagles.
Businesses owned by Nwankwo Kanu
In a related development, Legit.ng reported about Nwankwo Kanu’s business empire, including his hotels, real estate investments, football ventures, and brand endorsements.
The former Arsenal and Super Eagles striker has built an estimated net worth of between $9 million and $15 million since retiring from professional football.
Source: Legit.ng
