A king, a car, and a city’s Pride: The story behind Oba Ladoja’s Rolls-Royce phantom”

At precisely 7am, a brand-new Rolls-Royce Phantom, a gleaming masterpiece of British engineering worth about N600 million, was quietly delivered to the private residence of Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja, the new Olubadan of Ibadanland.
The gift was not from the palace, nor from a government treasury.
It came from one of Ibadan’s most illustrious sons: Kola Karim, billionaire oil magnate, Chairman of Shoreline Energy International, and Agba Oye of Ibadanland.
For a man accustomed to navigating boardrooms in Lagos, London, and Geneva, this gesture was more than ceremonial benevolence. It was a statement, a declaration of identity, loyalty, and respect.

Karim’s cousin, Abduljelyl Adekunle Karheem, Mogaji of the Adanla family and Chairman of Afia Group, presented the vehicle on his behalf.

By mid-morning, whispers had turned into headlines, and speculation filled the air: why such a lavish gift, and why now?

The answers lie in the complex tapestry of Ibadan’s history, the symbolic weight of its monarchy, the character of both giver and receiver, and the resurgence of a once-overlooked compound now etched permanently into Yoruba history, Arusa.

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Kola Karim: The Billionaire with Roots as Deep as His Reach

 Though globally recognised as a high-flying entrepreneur with stakes across energy, finance, and industry, Kola Karim is not merely a businessman.

He is Ibadan-born, Ibadan-bred in spirit, and unwaveringly proud of his lineage.

Karim grew up in a household that valued both tradition and modernity.

The titles of his family, particularly the Mogaji Adanla, rooted him in Ibadan’s chieftaincy culture.

Yet his own trajectory propelled him far beyond the city.

Today, Shoreline Energy International, under his leadership, operates as a pan-African conglomerate, with interests ranging from oil and gas exploration to power infrastructure and marine services.

What distinguishes Karim, however, is not just his balance sheets but his loyalty to community.

Long before the Rolls-Royce made headlines, he had earned a reputation for quiet but consistent acts of philanthropy.

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He built schools, sponsored educational scholarships, and supported religious institutions.

Years ago, he stunned the Nigerian elite by gifting another luxury car to Emir Sanusi Lamido Sanusi of Kano, a gesture that foreshadowed his present offering.

To many, Karim’s largesse to Oba Ladoja was unsurprising. What made it unforgettable was the timing and symbolism.

 More than a Car, a Crown in Steel

 The Rolls-Royce Phantom, with its imposing grille and whisper-quiet engine, has long been the car for monarchs, statesmen, and business titans.

In Ibadan, a city of warrior traditions and enduring cultural pride, its arrival at the threshold of the Olubadan was almost poetic.

It was not just transportation; it was a crown on wheels, a mobile throne symbolising prestige, continuity, and permanence. Delivered hours before the monarch’s official coronation, it infused the event with a modern grandeur befitting a ruler whose life has spanned politics, commerce, and now royalty.

As one palace source put it: “The Rolls-Royce is not about opulence. It is about what the Olubadan represents. When he sits in it, Ibadan sits with him.”

Arusa: From  Obscurity to History

 No less symbolic than the car was the place from which the new Olubadan hails, Arusa Compound. For decades, Arusa, tucked away in Isale-Osi within Ibadan South-West Local Government, was little more than a footnote in the city’s sprawling history. Unlike more prominent royal compounds with long traditions of producing rulers, Arusa was modest, its stories contained within family courtyards and oral histories.

That changed dramatically with the ascension of Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja. His elevation as the 44th Olubadan and his adoption of Arusa 1 transformed Arusa overnight into a household name.

Once overlooked, it now stands as a symbol of Ibadan’s meritocratic succession system, where even the most unheralded compound can, through patience and tradition, ascend to the pinnacle of power.

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The Rolls-Royce gift to Ladoja indirectly underscored this transformation.

By honouring a monarch from Arusa, Kola Karim was also acknowledging the power of Ibadan’s traditional order, one that does not privilege wealth or popularity but a steady, decades-long climb through the chieftaincy ladder.

Residents of Arusa themselves speak of their compound’s sudden reawakening with pride.

“For years, people hardly mentioned us in royal matters. Now, we are known across Yorubaland. The world comes to Arusa,” one elder said.

Thus, the car was not just for a king; it was for a compound, a family, and by extension, for the silent hope of every Ibadan household still waiting for its turn in history.

 A Devoted Son to

a Father-Figure

 Those close to Karim insisted that his gesture was deeply personal. His relationship with Oba Ladoja, they say, transcended protocol. It is more akin to that of a devoted son honouring a father.

In private conversations, Karim has described the Olubadan as a man of integrity, a leader who endured trials yet never compromised principles. That admiration was cultivated during Ladoja’s turbulent political years, when he resisted godfatherism and defended democratic ideals at great personal and financial cost.

By honouring him so lavishly now, Karim signaled a generational handover of loyalty, from the boardrooms of energy policy to the courtyards of Ibadan tradition. It was a reminder that no matter how far Ibadan sons travel, their allegiance remains anchored at home.

 Ladoja: From Governor to Olubadan, A Life Crowned in Stages

 For Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja, the gift marked yet another milestone in a life that has been nothing short of historic.

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, captured it succinctly: “He is the first in modern Nigerian history to become a senator, a governor and now a monarch. This is history in itself.”

From his modest childhood in Gambari village to the halls of the University of Liège in Belgium, from textile factories to the turbulent governorship of Oyo State, Ladoja’s journey has always been marked by resilience.

His governorship, though marred by impeachment battles, is remembered for its people-oriented policies: prompt payment of salaries, pensions, and ambitious infrastructure projects like the Circular Road.

His opposition to arbitrary crowns for high chiefs under Governor Ajimobi also revealed his commitment to tradition.

By refusing to dilute the singular authority of the Olubadan, Ladoja positioned himself as a custodian of Ibadan’s heritage.

Now, enthroned as the 44th Olubadan, his reign begins under the shadow of this extraordinary Rolls-Royce gesture, a symbol of respect from one of Ibadan’s wealthiest sons.

Ibadan’s Response: Awe, Debate, and Cultural Reawakening

Across Ibadan, reactions to the gift varied between awe and contemplation. For many ordinary residents, the Rolls-Royce was a source of pride: proof that Ibadan sons not only succeed abroad but also bring their prestige home.

Chief Murtala Adesina, one of the palace chiefs, remarked: “This is how tradition thrives. When our sons honour the throne, they strengthen it for future generations.”

Others, however, questioned the symbolism of such luxury in a time of economic hardship. Could such wealth not have built schools, roads, or hospitals? The counterargument came swiftly from cultural purists: in Yoruba tradition, honouring the king is equivalent to honouring the entire community. A monarch adorned in dignity is a beacon for his people.

As one elder in Isale-Osi put it: “When the Olubadan rides in dignity, Ibadan itself rides in dignity.”

The Philanthropic Philosophy of Kola Karim

 To understand why Karim would spend $600,000 on a single gesture, one must grasp his broader philosophy of philanthropy.

Unlike charity aimed merely at relief, Karim’s giving is symbolic, strategic, and identity-driven.

By empowering institutions, whether royal palaces, religious centres, or community schools, he invested in symbols that outlast handouts.

The Rolls-Royce was not an indulgence for a man already enthroned. It was an investment in the image and dignity of Ibadan’s monarchy, an institution that commands loyalty across class, religion, and politics.

In Nigerian high society, where wealth is often flaunted through private jets or parties in Dubai, Karim’s act stood out for its rootedness. It was wealth bending to culture, not culture bending to wealth.

Karim’s gesture placed him within a long tradition of Yoruba patrons who supported kings and cultural institutions.

In precolonial times, warrior chiefs donated land, livestock, or manpower to strengthen the palace.

In modern Nigeria, where symbols of prestige are global, the Rolls-Royce replaces horses and beads.

This act redefined what it means to be a patron in the 21st century.

Karim, by aligning his global success with local tradition, reminded the elite that true greatness is not measured by offshore accounts but by what one gives

A king, a car, and a city’s Pride: The story behind Oba Ladoja’s Rolls-Royce phantom”

Source: Vanguard, except the headline