Chief Razaq Okoya is one of Nigeria’s most successful industrialists and the founder of the Eleganza Group. Over the decades, he has built not only a vast business empire but also a large and well-known family.
In a recent video, one of his sons revealed that the billionaire has nine wives and 26 children. The revelation has sparked fresh curiosity as to the identity of these wives and how many of the 26 children are known to the public, or do they prefer to live private lives?
Okoya’s Wives
Chief Okoya has 9 wives, but two of them are most prominent and in the spotlight. They are: 
1. Alhaja Kuburat Olayinka Okoya (Kudirat Okoya)
She is widely known as his senior and first wife. They have been married for over 50 years and share seven children together. She often appears at public events with him and maintains a cordial relationship with the other wives.
2. Dr. Shade Okoya
Shade Okoya is his youngest and most publicly known wife. She married Razaq Okoya in May 1999 when she was 21 and he was 59. She is the Chief Executive Officer of the Eleganza Group and plays an active role in managing the company.
They live in Lagos and have four children together. Their names are Olamide, Subomi, Oyinlola, and Wahab.
Shade Okoya’s children are the most well-known among the Okoya family, largely because they are younger and grew up in the social media era, where their lives receive more public attention.
Other Wives
Other wives mentioned in reports include:
- Ajoke Okoya
- Yetunde Okoya
- Jennifer Okoya
- Zainab Okoya
These ones maintain a more private lifestyle.
His Children
Chief Razaq Okoya is reported to have 26 children, with his first child believed to be around 60 years old.
Beyond the well-known children he shares with Shade Okoya, another publicly recognised child is Olori Moji Tejuosho, who is married to Omoba Lanre Tejuosho.
Okoya’s Early Business Journey
Chief Razaq Okoya invested not only in building a large family but also in building Nigeria’s manufacturing strength. He strongly believed that Nigeria could produce goods equal to, or even better than, those made abroad.
As widely told, his business grew rapidly because he travelled extensively and studied how products were manufactured in other countries.
He paid close attention to quality, machinery, and production methods, and he became convinced that Nigerians could replicate the same standards locally.
His entrepreneurial journey took a major turn because of his first wife, Alhaja Kuburat Okoya, who loved expensive jewellery.
Whenever she mentioned the prices, Okoya felt they were too high. Then he saw an opportunity, travelled overseas, purchased the necessary machinery, and began producing jewellery in Nigeria.
He later ventured into importing shoes in large quantities. He paid for a shipment, the shoes were never delivered, so he travelled to Italy to confront the manufacturer, only to discover that they had used his money to pay their debts.
Rather than give up, Okoya turned the setback into another opportunity. He imported shoe-making machines and brought in foreign experts to train Nigerian workers, allowing him to manufacture shoes locally.
The Growth of Eleganza
This bold approach eventually gave birth to Eleganza Industries, which grew into one of Nigeria’s leading manufacturing companies.
Today, Eleganza produces a wide range of household goods, including cutlery, food warmers, ice chests, electric fans, cosmetics, ballpoint pens, and plastic household items.
Its factories, located in Oregun-Ikeja, Isolo, Alaba, and Iganmu in Lagos, employ over 5,000 Nigerians and expatriates, including workers in his RAO Property Investment Company.
In the end, Chief Razaq Okoya’s success is reflected not only in the factories he built but also in the large family he raised, both those in the public eye and those who live more privately.
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