Tayo Amusan: Quiet Influence, Global Business Impact

Some of Nigeria’s biggest commercial shifts arrive without press conferences. They simply appear, fully formed, and stay. Tayo Amusan sits behind many of those shifts. Born in Ogun State in 1957, trained in business administration in Atlanta, he founded the Persianas Group in 1990. His name rarely trends. His projects, however, redraw markets.

The clearest example came in 2004 with The Palms Shopping Mall. It was Nigeria’s first international-standard mall, changing how retail space worked and how global brands viewed Lagos.

Amusan’s style relies on patience. Shoprite entered Nigeria as an anchor tenant under Persianas management and stayed for over 15 years. In 2021, Ketron Investment Limited acquired Shoprite’s Nigerian operations outright, shifting a continental retail giant into local ownership.

That acquisition mattered beyond symbolism, showing that Nigerian capital could manage scale, supply chains, and consumer trust at levels once assumed foreign. The stores stayed open, shelves stocked, and expansion continued under local control.

Retail followed property. Through Persianas Retail, managed by Amusan, global brands such as Puma, Lacoste, Hugo Boss, and Max entered Nigeria with consistent standards. The effect was subtle: pricing discipline, better store design, and rising consumer expectations.

Amusan’s reach now extends into entertainment. In 2024, he led a consortium with Live Nation and Oak View Group to begin a $100 million, 12,000-capacity purpose-built arena in Lagos.

International finance has taken note. Persianas projects have attracted indicative backing of up to $124 million from the International Finance Corporation and other global funds. That confidence rests on execution, occupancy rates, and steady returns rather than hype.

Within boardrooms, Amusan remains active. He chairs Resourcery Limited and sits on boards including African Paints Nigeria Limited and Southern Petroleum Limited. The pattern holds: sectors change quietly, balance sheets speak loudly.

Nigeria’s business story normally celebrates loud disruptors. Amusan offers another model: long horizons, global partners, local control. Influence does not always announce itself. Sometimes it builds malls, fills shelves, books concerts, and lets the results do the talking.