Engineer Kola Karim is a Nigerian silent billionaire. Although of Nigerian descent, he currently holds British citizenship. In September 2025, he reportedly gifted a former governor of Oyo state and the new Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Adewolu Ladoja, a brand new Rolls-Royce Phantom, a car that costs over N600 million.
Age
Orikolade Karim was born on November 24, 1968. He is currently 56 years old and will be 57 years old by November 24, 2025.
Parents
His father, Mr Karim, was a policeman, and his mother, Mrs Karim, is an entrepreneur.
State of Origin
Engr. Karim is from Oyo state.
Education
Karim migrated to England at the age of 14, along with his five siblings, following his father’s death. He studied management, finance, and later obtained an MBA.
He is an alumnus of Harvard Business School. He also holds an LLM Masters of Laws in international business Law with a focus on environmental practices.
Career
He started his career as a trainee manager at Guardian Royal Exchange Assurance, a British insurance company.
Karim left the firm after two years to work for HK Beaumont & Associates as a senior manager. A few years later, in 1993, he decided to return to Nigeria to start an importation and exportation business. He started the business, Koda Trading, with his mother. Koda Trading at the time specialized in the import and export of bulk feed stock, raw materials, heavy-duty machinery, and equipment.
Narrating the experience in an interview, Karim noted that despite the challenges, which include mortgaging their home due to a lack of access to funds, the business became profitable two years later.
Ever since then, he has expanded his portfolio. Engr. Karim currently serves as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Shoreline Energy International (Shoreline), a firm focused on Infrastructure, Energy, and infrastructure-related investments in Sub-Saharan Africa. As of 2023, he served as the Group Managing Director/CEO of the company.
Net worth
There is no reputable reportage of his estimated net worth online. However, he was named in No. 4, of the Forbe’s 10 Most Powerful Men in Africa 2014. In 2012, his company, Shoreline Energy partnered with U.K-based Heritage Oil in acquiring a stake in OML 30, an oilfield asset in Nigeria for a reported $850 million.
“I built my business by investing in anything that contributes to the lives of ordinary Africans. All you got to look for in entrepreneurship is the simple stuff.”
Kola Karim
“I have learnt a lot from Dangote. He has been like a brother to me. He is dogged and determined, and he doesn’t let anyone push him around.”
Disclaimer
The information in this article was curated from online sources. NewsWireNGR or its editorial team cannot independently verify all details.
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