Lanre Gbajabiamila: Nigeria’s Mr. Lottery

When Lanre Gbajabiamila entered the lottery industry 21 years ago as a senior staff member with one of the leading lottery operators in Lagos, he didn’t know he would become Nigeria’s Lottery Regulator-in-Chief. Vanessa Obioha recently encountered the man whose dedication to the lottery industry is not a gamble

If you take Lanre Gbajabiamila’s serious mien at work, it is possible to reach the wrong conclusion that he is of a stern, no-nonsense disposition. Whereas in reality, he is playful and full of conviviality. Indeed, he keeps the foreboding facade, in part, as a defense mechanism because the man behind the surface is somewhat shy and very calculating. He seldom rushes into decisions.

Part of my interaction as I sat across the table from him in his office at Abuja was to go beyond his persona. Not a few times, in the course of the interview, the head of media and public relations at the National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC), Mr. Magnus Ekechukwu, and the agency’s Public Relations consultant, Mr. Kehinde Olaosebikan persuaded me to drop the angle of questioning I was approaching. To my great relief and their complete surprise, he enjoined them to remain calm, while he answered the question. These were mainly when he attended to questions that veered outside his work. Even at that, he didn’t offer more than a few lines. Essentially, he knew how to parry like a skilled boxer.  He even laughed sometimes; showing a good sense of humour.

Gbajabiamila has acquired quite a reputation as ‘Mr. Lottery,’ having worked in different capacities. For three years, he served one of the leading operators as a senior staff member.  He went on to serve the Lagos State Government as a regulator for 10 years. Currently, he is Nigeria’s Lottery Regulator-in-Chief. He generally oversees the functions of the NLRC. Part of his role includes designing and promoting compliance with the NLRC’s rules and regulations by all cadres of operators in the industry.

Twenty-one years of his life, so far, have been dedicated to the lottery industry. That is not a gamble. For sure, he has left nothing to chance. Once he found the lottery industry, he did not take any chances with another occupation. This, for him, remains a sure bet! The game of chance industry in Nigeria and Africa has been growing in leaps and bounds since the application of technology into it. Expectedly, Gbajabiamila has garnered so much knowledge he can write a best seller on the subject.

“Have you been spying on me?” He was just kidding when the possibility of publishing his thoughts and experiences when he leaves office was put across to him. It was his way of giving a hint on an upcoming book.

“It would be good to do something like that.”

At the moment, he is concentrating on serving out his second four-year tenure as Director General of the National Lottery Regulatory Commission and exiting in a blaze of glory. Therefore, he is very particular about the decisions that may be credited to his days in that office. Regret is something he abhors.

“It’s been an experience,” he said. “We learn every day, but I am human. Once you take decisive action, it is better to stick with it, that is, assuming that you consulted widely and all shades of interests were covered. You don’t want to be seen as going back and forth. So far, so good; I hope I’ll be able to bow out with my heads up by the time I leave this office because after this tenure, I can’t get another. But I am happy.”

It’s not unusual for a diligent public office holder like him to have a healthy appetite for politics. His response to this was not decisive. At first, he said he would not consider it; then he concluded by saying he would rather leave it open.

“Politics is not for someone like me. I like to be at the back end. I can support the government and politicians, but I think I am not cut out for that. But like I normally say, ‘Never say never.’

When I prodded him further, he volunteered more. What if your people say they want you?

“Many are called, but few are chosen. So if they call me, I will think about it, I will pray over it, but left to me, no. I’m more of a technocrat. Honestly, I think I can give more to the nation than being a politician. Not that politicians cannot do that as well.”

In the Bola Tinubu presidency, Gbajabiamila may be said to enjoy some advantages from having a sibling who is a top politician. The former Speaker of Nigeria’s House of Representatives and current Chief of Staff to the President, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila is Lanre’s immediate older brother; from the same father, same mother. Of course, he admits that having an influential sibling gives one an edge, but it’s not without its downside too. He talked about the two.

“The advantages are because of what he has positively done for himself. When I go somewhere, for example, they ask me all those obvious questions:  ‘Are you related to him?’  and that makes things easier. Sometimes. it makes things work out for you. The other side is that some people don’t like him, so they come at me.”

 From the onset, Gbajabiamila has kept one of the rules of mafiadom; which is, ‘You don’t get high on your own stuff.’ Meaning that even though he is in the gambling industry, he has never placed a bet. Known as part of the bigger sports/entertainment industry, he has found another way to relax within that mix.

“I have started taking golf seriously. It was my brother that said I should do that. It takes your mind out of everything, but I don’t know, it is the patience required that is tasking for me. You have to carry everything; all by yourself. It’s relaxing, I’ve tried it a couple of times. So I think by the time I’m 60 plus, it will be something that I will be doing.

“What do I do for relaxation? I like to swim. That burns off a lot of the stress, I have always loved that. I love sports. I am a Liverpool fan. I’ve been a Liverpool fan for years, and that’s why we never walk alone. And I am a homey person. I like to stay home. I love my Netflix; I love movies. I love to travel out. I love having my children around. They are growing up so fast, and before you know it, they will leave you all by yourself. Every moment I have with them, I cherish it. Then I like to unwind occasionally. Go to a lounge, places I know that I have my friends; childhood friends. Generally relaxing my mind and just doing the right thing.”

From their Surulere-Lagos homestead, the Gbajabiamilas have deepened their roots as modern-day Yoruba aristocrats, extending their influence; first in the family’s trading enterprise and in recent years making a steady climb up the ladder of politics in Lagos and nationally. While Femi, President Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, is a lawyer, Lanre, who heads the NLRC, is an Economist who trained at the California State University Hayward, School of Business and Economics.

Talking about a ring of ruthless operators who may not like to play it by the rules, I wanted to know if he was aware of a cabal in the Nigerian lottery industry and whether there have been concerns for his safety.

“Everyone can’t like you or like the things you do. This industry is multi-layered and the interests vary. The volume of monetary transactions daily is huge. So, it’s not the lottery industry alone, there are operators in every industry who don’t like to play it by the rules. We are here to enforce compliance. I do not deny that some decisions we have taken may have rubbed some people the wrong way. However, I don’t feel my life is in danger other than the general insecurity that is apparent in the country. I don’t go around with a load of security personnel. That may even attract unnecessary attention. More importantly, my safety is in the hands of God.”

When it comes to fascination with Nigerian destinations, Lagos, his home state is top on his mind, but that is being pushed gently into a second place as Abuja offers increasingly more captivating places.

“I keep saying Lagos. Abuja is nice. I’ve always liked Abuja. Abuja is calmer, it is more fitting to me. I would love to go to Uyo. I hear there is a destination that lots of tourists visit. Also the cattle ranch in Obudu; I’d love to be there. I’ve been to Jos. I love Jos. My sister-in-law is from Jos. I’ve been to Jos a few times. But nowadays we cannot take off and go anywhere we’d love to. That slowed us down.”