Ibigbemi Oloruntobi is the founder and CEO of Item7Go, a Nigerian quick-service restaurant chain that has grown from a campus food stall into a business with more than 45 outlets nationwide.
A Physics graduate of the University of Ilorin, Oloruntobi graduated in 2011 and started the venture in 2012. The business began near the university gate, serving affordable jollof rice and shawarma to students who needed filling meals between classes.
What distinguishes Item7Go is not a revolutionary product but a disciplined approach to familiar food. The menu has remained deliberately narrow, built around rice dishes and shawarma, which allows for standardised preparation and easier expansion.
Oloruntobi has also embraced a takeout-focused model, reducing the overheads associated with dine-in restaurants while meeting customers through online ordering and delivery platforms. The name itself draws on Nigerian slang: “Item 7” refers to the food served at an event, a detail that makes the brand immediately legible to its audience.
Under Oloruntobi’s leadership, Item7Go has expanded from Ilorin into Ibadan, Lagos and Abuja. Its first Abuja outlet opened in Mabushi on 24 September 2026. He has also given back to the university where the idea took shape.
In 2023, the University of Ilorin handed over a multi-million naira edifice built by Item7Go under a Built-Operate-and-Transfer arrangement, and Oloruntobi described his presence at the university as a social responsibility.
The story of Ibigbemi Oloruntobi is a reminder that business growth does not always require invention. Sometimes it requires taking something people already want and finding a better way to deliver it, consistently and at scale.
