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The King of Small Chops at a New Age: Celebrating Prince Saheed Kekere-Ekun, The Man Who Turned Small Chops Into Big Business
Long before the title “King of Small Chops” became synonymous with Prince Saheed Kekere-Ekun, there was a young man working as a waiter at parties and hospitality establishments in Lagos, learning the business from the ground up and quietly imagining a future few around him could probably have predicted.
Decades later, that young waiter has become one of the most recognisable personalities associated with Nigeria’s small-chops industry.
Today, as Prince Saheed Akorede Kekere-Ekun, popularly known as Saheeto, celebrates his birthday, his story is not simply that of a successful caterer.
It is the story of an entrepreneur who helped turn an often-overlooked part of the Nigerian party menu into a thriving commercial enterprise and, in the process, built a brand that has survived for more than three decades.
It is also a story with a delicious irony.
The man who made his name selling “small chops” ended up building something very big.
Kekere-Ekun’s journey dates back to his early years working as a waiter at Lagos social functions. Published accounts of his career trace the formal establishment of Saheeto International Limited to 1994, although his involvement in hospitality began earlier.
From those beginnings emerged a business dedicated to finger foods and event catering at a time when the category had nowhere near the commercial profile it enjoys today.
Kekere-Ekun saw possibilities where others saw party snacks.
He understood that spring rolls, samosas, puff-puff and other bite-sized foods could be more than an accompaniment served while guests waited for the main meal. With the right presentation, quality control, consistency and service, they could become a business in their own right.
That insight would help shape the Saheeto story.
Over time, weddings, birthdays and private celebrations gave way to increasingly large assignments, corporate functions and high-profile events. Saheeto became a familiar name within Lagos social circles and eventually beyond Nigeria.
Kekere-Ekun has credited much of that expansion not to flashy advertising but to referrals, repeat customers and maintaining standards.
His longevity is perhaps one of the most striking aspects of the story.
In a business where tastes change quickly and competitors emerge constantly, Kekere-Ekun has spent more than three decades associated with essentially the same proposition: take something seemingly ordinary and deliver it extraordinarily well.
And his influence has not been limited to what Saheeto sells.
Kekere-Ekun has spoken proudly over the years about training people who subsequently established themselves in the catering industry and, in turn, trained others. He has described that multiplier effect as one of the most satisfying parts of his entrepreneurial journey.
That may ultimately prove to be one of the more important chapters of the Saheeto story.
Businesses can be counted in outlets and revenues. Industries are built when knowledge is transferred and other entrepreneurs emerge.
The journey, however, has not been without bruises.
Kekere-Ekun has publicly recalled major business setbacks, including an early catering disaster in which food prepared for roughly 2,000 guests was spoiled, forcing his team to start again under enormous pressure. He has also spoken about suffering a much larger financial loss after operational problems affected a major catering contract.
He survived both.
Those episodes offer another explanation for the longevity of the man behind Saheeto: an ability to absorb setbacks, reassess and keep moving.
His interests would eventually stretch beyond catering. Published profiles have linked him with hospitality and real estate, including Saheeto’s Place on Lagos Island.
His entrepreneurial work also earned formal recognition. FATE Foundation’s anniversary records list Saheed Kekere Ekun as its 2012 FATE Alumni Model Entrepreneur, while he has received other recognition for his contributions to food and hospitality.
Then there is another side to Kekere-Ekun: politics.
Years before his more recent appearances on the political circuit, he publicly discussed his political ambitions and sought to represent Lagos Island Constituency II in the House of Representatives on the platform of the All Progressives Congress.
More recently, he was visible in Ekiti during the campaign for Governor Biodun Oyebanji, appearing alongside leading political figures and supporters during the election period.
It paints the portrait of a man whose network and interests have expanded considerably from the Lagos hospitality scene where his journey began.
But food remains at the heart of his identity.
That story is now moving into another generation through Saheeto Signature.
In August, the company opened its Saheeto Signature Grill Hub in Wuse 2, Abuja, extending a hospitality journey that has lasted more than three decades into a concept where customers do not have to wait for a wedding or major party to experience the brand.
It is a significant evolution.
The waiter became an entrepreneur.
The entrepreneur became an employer and trainer.
The small-chops business became a hospitality brand.
And the brand is now being positioned for another chapter.
For the many younger entrepreneurs who today make a living from small chops, finger foods and event catering, Kekere-Ekun’s journey is also a reminder that an industry does not always begin with a grand idea.
Sometimes it begins with recognising the enormous potential hidden inside something everyone else considers small.
That is what makes his birthday today more than a celebration of another year.
It is an opportunity to celebrate Prince Saheed Kekere-Ekun — the man behind Saheeto, the entrepreneur who helped give small chops a bigger place in Nigerian hospitality, and the businessman whose journey from waiting tables to building a recognised brand has become a story of persistence, reinvention and enterprise.
After more than three decades, people still call him “The King of Small Chops.”
Perhaps the greatest tribute to his journey is that nobody considers the business small anymore.
Happy birthday, Prince Saheed Kekere-Ekun.
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, on Thursday wondered why Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State is afraid of having the Rainbow Coalition in his state.
Wike said he owes no apology to Uzodinma over his friendship with a former governor of the state, Rochas Okorocha.
Speaking during his monthly media chat in Abuja, the minister declared that he is only interested in President Bola Tinubu's reelection.
He said: "I'm not in the APC, and before that judgment was given, he (Uzodinma) had openly warned that there is no Rainbow Coalition in Imo State, very uncivilized. So, when that happened, it was credited to me; how would it have been me?
"Why is Hope Uzodinma afraid of the Rainbow Coalition? What's the problem? You are running an election, and he is supporting you; you tell your supporters to vote for you, and I tell my supporters to vote for me, and we compound it together.
"Your business is to make sure that Mr President wins the election, and I owe you no apologies that Rochas is my friend, so will you kill me because my friend has an issue with you in your state?
"He also has friends in my state who are my political enemies; would I go and kill him? No."
You’re afraid of Rainbow Coalition, Okorocha is my friend – Wike to Hope Uzodinma
The Federal Government has welcomed GIG Mobility Group’s (GIGM) expansion into digital mobility services, urging the company to prioritise reliable service delivery as it moves beyond interstate transportation into travel booking and premium vehicle hire.
The government said digital mobility solutions must not only simplify travel arrangements but also guarantee dependable services and protect customers who rely on technology to organise their journeys.
The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Transportation, Olufunso Adebiyi, represented by Usman Abubakar, Deputy Director, Road and Mass Transit, gave the admonition on Wednesday in Abuja at the unveiling of PASS by GIGM and hireX by GIGM.
Mr Adebiyi said the ministry remained open to partnerships with the company, describing the platforms as an innovation that could improve transportation and travel services.
He also stressed that the ministry hoped the company’s new services would benefit Nigerians and wished it success in its expansion.
According to the Director-General of the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), Joseph Osanipin, the launch marked the beginning of the work required to sustain the services, warning that the company would need to meet customers’ expectations as demand grew.
“After we have launched today, the real work is going to start. Many customers will come in and demand this service. We have to be up to it,” he said.
Mr Osanipin said trust, reliability and responsive customer service were essential to the success of digital mobility platforms, particularly where customers were required to provide personal information and make payments before travelling.
He added that innovation must address practical problems and deliver solutions through technology in seamless, efficient ways.
GIGM’s background and expansion
GIG Mobility Group is a Nigerian transportation and technology company that began operations in 1998 as God Is Good Motors, providing interstate passenger transportation.
Founded by Edwin and Stella Ajaere in Benin City, the company initially operated between Benin City and Lagos before expanding its bus services to other Nigerian cities.
After Edwin Ajaere’s death, his son, Chidi Ajaere, took over management and led the company’s expansion and adoption of technology-driven transportation services.
The company rebranded from God Is Good Motors to GIG Mobility in 2019, reflecting its expansion beyond conventional passenger transportation.
It also expanded into Ghana, where it operates transportation services, including routes connecting Accra and Kumasi.
GIGM has introduced digital booking and transport management systems into its operations, allowing customers to book interstate journeys online rather than relying solely on physical terminals.
The company says it operates more than 40 terminals across Nigeria and Ghana. Its Chief Executive Officer, Enahoro Okhae, said the Gwagwalada terminal, opened on Tuesday, was its 40th terminal across West Africa.
What the new platforms offer
The two platforms are designed to extend GIGM’s services beyond its traditional interstate bus transportation business into other aspects of mobility and travel.
PASS by GIGM is a travel and tours platform that brings together flight bookings, hotel reservations, airport pickups, curated tours and interstate bus ticketing. It is intended to allow customers to organise different parts of a journey through one digital channel rather than booking each service separately.
hireX by GIGM, on the other hand, is a vehicle-hire marketplace offering chauffeur-driven vehicles for hourly, daily and one-way bookings. The service is designed for airport transfers, business trips, events and other journeys requiring hired vehicles.
According to the company, its Abuja fleet will comprise vehicles owned by GIGM and those operated by partner providers.
The platforms form part of the company’s broader plan to develop a mobility ecosystem that connects transportation with travel and related services.
GIGM says customer expectations are changing
Mr Okhae explained that the expansion was informed by changing customer expectations, particularly demands for convenience, speed, digital access and simpler travel arrangements.
He said the company had traditionally been known for moving passengers between states but was now seeking to provide services covering other parts of their journeys.
“Strong companies evolve. Strong companies listen. Strong companies learn. They adapt. They invest,” he said.
Mr Okhae added that the company was seeking to respond to the movement of people across Africa for business, education, family engagements, tourism and other opportunities.
He noted that GIGM’s expansion was based on the belief that customers increasingly needed connected services rather than separate transportation arrangements.
“The future belongs to connected solutions, not isolated services,” he said.
He said the company was building an ecosystem that would let customers access different services and organise their journeys.
Mr Okhae added that Abuja was strategic to the company’s expansion, explaining that the launch was intended to extend services already introduced in Lagos to customers in the capital.
Technology and operational capacity
Charles Oloyede, GIGM’s Head of Product, said technology had enabled the company to expand into other segments of the mobility business.
ALSO READ: CREDICORP rolls out first CNG mobility activation in Adamawa, advancing its 10,000 mobility rollout
He explained that the company’s existing technological infrastructure supported road and air travel services, helping it manage operations and provide customers with different travel options.
Mr Oloyede said the company relied on technology to manage operational complexities that would be difficult to handle manually.
He added that GIGM had about 150 daily touchpoints, although he did not clarify whether the figure referred to transactions, operational contacts or customer interactions.
He also noted that the company’s technology had been developed to support its operations and provide customers with a more coordinated travel experience.
According to Mr Oloyede, Abuja was an important market for the company, and the launch was intended to extend services already available in Lagos to customers in the capital.
NADDC highlights reliability and customer trust
Mr Osanipin said customers would need confidence in the platforms before entrusting them with personal information, payments and travel arrangements.
He noted that reliability and responsive customer service were equally important, particularly when customers encountered difficulties or needed urgent assistance.
The NADDC director-general said the company’s experience in transportation could help it respond to customers’ needs but cautioned against assuming that the launch alone would guarantee success.
He urged the management to continue improving its services and avoid complacency.
“When you are number one, think as number two,” he said.
The platforms come at a time when customers increasingly use digital channels to arrange transportation and other services.
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