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What started 22 years ago as a humble food venture by a passionate young man is now a household name across Nigeria—and far beyond.
The brand known today as 12 Baskets began in 2002. By November 2025, it will clock 23 remarkable years—the same year Michael Owolabi Afolaranmi, its founder and Chairman, celebrates his 50th birthday.
That alone is a testimony in numbers: a company and a calling birthed in the same season of a man’s life.
At just 22, fresh out of school and full of fire, Afolaranmi chose a path many thought ridiculous. Frying puff-puff? After earning a tertiary education? To many, it was shameful. To him, it was sacred.
Entrepreneurial journey
Michael’s entrepreneurial instincts were not textbook. They were life-taught.
His late mother, a tenacious woman, sold food under the iconic Obalende Bridge in Lagos Island. Long before sunrise, the family would rise to prepare for the day’s hustle. That experience became his informal MBA in food, discipline, and survival.
“We didn’t just cook. We learnt sacrifice, systems, and service,” Afolaranmi said.
Though the idea of small chops seemed lowly to many at the time, to Afolaranmi it was a stepping stone. A divine spark. A dream he would pursue relentlessly—even without encouragement.
The naming of a divine legacy
The name 12 Baskets was birthed from the Gospel story of divine provision—where Jesus fed over 5,000 people with five loaves and two fishes, and still had twelve baskets full of leftovers. That image of (overflow) became Afolaranmi’s foundational belief.
“What God blesses always multiplies. That’s the spirit of Twelve Baskets,” he said.
This deep spiritual connection continues to guide the brand’s culture, expansion, and enduring resilience—even in tough times.
School of Life
Michael’s educational journey started at the Holy Cross Cathedral Primary School, Lagos Island, from where he went to Wahab Folawiyo High School, Osbourne Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, and then institutions like Kwara State Polytechnic for his OND and Ibadan Polytechnic for his HND in Marketing. It was at Ibadan Polytechnic where he was schoolmates with none other than his imperial majesty, Alaiyeluwa Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, the current Ooni-Orisa of Ife. But his greatest teacher was life itself.
“The real curriculum was sacrifice. Obalende was my classroom,” he disclosed.
From Sura to the Summit
The first branch of 12 Baskets was in Sura Market, close to his mother’s old spot in Obalende. But before this 1st branch he was managing somewhere at Ikeja, where the acorn seed 1st got planted before Sura came about.
From that humble location, the brand has grown into a multi-million naira (arguably billion-naira valued) conglomerate—with branches in Abuja 2010, Ikeja 2012, Lekki 2019 & Ikorodu 2024, and a headquarters befitting the empire it has become. The international airport branch of the brand is set for a launch come July of 2025.
Also, the 12 Baskets Houston, USA international branch, is gathering momentum, and is a expected to be launched with the required fanfare before the end of 2025 too.
Today, 12 Baskets isn’t just a food company. It’s a diversified group with active interests in:
Real Estate & Property (12 Baskets Estates Limited).
Logistics & Procurement (including import/export links with China) (12 Baskets Logistics).
12 Baskets Travel & Tours.
Fashion, Style & Lifestyle (Style by 12).
Inspired by 12.
12 Baskets Academy.
12 Baskets Food Foundation.
12 Baskets Plus.
The man behind the hustle
Beyond the business brilliance lies a beating heart of compassion. Afolaranmi is as much a philanthropist as he is a pastor, having been ordained over a decade ago by Enoch Adejare Adeboye, General Overseer of the RCCG.
His newly established Michael Afolaranmi (MA) Foundation is a dream extension of his soul.
Its mission? Empowering youth through free entrepreneurial training and support, helping them rise like he once did—from frying pans to boardrooms.
“I was helped by God alone. So now I must help others—not with talk, but with tools.”
Married for 20 years to the graceful and grounded Omolara Afolaranmi, Michael describes his wife as his calm in every storm. Together, they run the business, raise their children, and inspire all who cross their path.
Their children, led by the brilliant Abiola Afolaranmi—currently studying Food Technology in the United States—are being groomed to inherit not just a business, but a legacy. There’s also Mikel, Opemipo, Darasimi & Darafunmi, 5 extraordinary extensions of a great duo – Michael & Lara.
Legacy in motion
Today, 12 Baskets stands tall—not just as Nigeria’s most recognisable finger foods brand, but as a symbol of divine inspiration, fearless entrepreneurship, and purposeful living.
He said, “My journey is proof that with faith, resilience, and purpose, even puff-puff can change the world.”
Afolaranmi’s life from an unknown to who & what he has become now, as a well-recognized, impact making & colossus of a man, who is leaving his indelible footprints upon the sands of time, is succinctly captured by the Shakespearean words as encapsulated by Julius Caesar.
When the tide is at the flood (its highest point), it’s the best time to set sail. In life, this means when opportunity is at its peak, that’s the moment to act.
Leads on to fortune
If you seize that high-tide moment—take action at the right time—it can lead to success, wealth, or greatness.
