Meet the Agege Boy who Built A $650 Million Luxury Real Estate Empire from Scratch
From Agege to Ikoyi, Dr. Olasijibomi Ogundele, GMD Sujimoto Group, has grown up to belong to a rare breed of men who possess the ability to consistently go the extra mile and do more than they say. ‘If he promises you a hill, better be sure you’re getting a mountain’.
In an undercelebrated real estate sector where over 27 banks have only a 2.5 percent appetite for investment, the entrepreneurial mogul has successfully scaled from constructing a few units of luxury apartments to now building the tallest twin tower in Africa. Dr. Ogundele beams with the glow of perpetual investors’ confidence in an environment notorious for its herculean business climate.
The poster boy from the rusty slums of Agege, with the help of the Almighty, has turned the lemon life dealt him into lemonade by raising the bar for luxury living in Africa and putting Nigeria on the world’s list.
Like some of his peers, Dr. Olasijibomi has, over the years, sailed troubled waters, navigating numerous business tides with the grace and nous of a veteran captain. 12-12-2015 serves as an important reference point, when Nigeria witnessed the unveiling of the most audacious project in the real estate industry, The LorenzoBySujimoto. Although the ambitious project couldn’t continue after going through a lot of difficulties in 2016 due to the economic recession, government policies, and a disabling environment, even the only investor who said ‘yes’ as of then looked at the pressing economic situation and then pulled the last straw that broke the camel’s back, bringing the project to a halt.
Little did society know that the halt of this ambitious project would birth multiple folds of other successful projects like GiulianoBySujimoto, which sold out six months before completion, as well as the almost completed LucreziaBySujimoto (The Most Sophisticated building in Nigeria). Today, Providence has once again smiled on this astute entrepreneur and the brainchild behind this real estate powerhouse, as he has been included in the unique list of industrious changemakers who consistently create opportunities and impact through their remarkable projects and audacious business models.
The young CEO and Luxury Czar beams among the honourable list of outstanding African Changemakers such as Mr. Tunde Folawiyo, Nwankwo Kanu, Osimhen Victor, and Linda Ikeji, creating extraordinary footprints and providing leadership in their spheres of influence.
The luxury real estate Maestro didn’t just stumble on this feat with mere word of mouth, but through sheer hard work and utmost dedication. In fact, no one would have thought a young man from the remote corners of Agege would build a $650 million luxury real estate powerhouse from scratch, a testament to his strong, resolute, and resilient business mind.
Where laudable economic achievements are rare, capital is scarce, and government assistance is almost nonexistent, young Olasijibomi Ogundele, just like a rose that sprouted from concrete, has today, through passion and dedication, created the ultimate standard for luxury living in Africa with Sujimoto Group while revamping the real estate industry, which was previously dominated by top-grade mediocrity and profit maximisation over value creation.
Sujimoto Group, in less than a decade, has transformed into a Luxury real estate behemoth, focused on building extraordinary edifices in the premium neighbourhoods of Ikoyi and Banana Island. With annual revenue of approximately $50 million and many projects in the pipeline, Dr. Ogundele believes Sujimoto Group, as of today, is worth over $650 Million.
Dr. Ogundele ranks among a few entrepreneurs from Africa that can rub shoulders with other top businessmen around the globe as he commands respect in the Nigerian business sector, succeeding in engraving his name in the hearts of the generality of his high-end customers and business associates.
For the young CEO, success is no respecter of race or face; it only answers to hard work, God’s grace, integrity, and the spirit of excellence. In building the most gossiped-about building in Banana Island, LucreziaBySujimoto, he dared architectural complexities by erecting the tallest and most sophisticated residential building with never-seen-before facilities in Nigeria.
Now, the Beau De’ Monde of Luxury Living is on the cusp of creating the finest expression of waterfront living reserved for the lucky few luxury aficionados: The LeonardoBySujimoto an ultimate address where design artistry meets ultimate sophistication.
Nested in the Shimmering corners of Banana Island (Africa’s most expensive square metre) that is home to billionaires like Abdul Samad Rabiu, Sayyu Dantata, Mike Adenuga, amongst a host of other managing directors of multinationals as well as ambassadors, the extravagant 25-floor Leonardo high-rise building comes with high-end appliances and exceptional facilities that are second to none.
Forget every notion of luxury you’ve ever seen, The LeonardoBySujimoto waterfront project accentuates as the pinnacle of opulence that draws Inspiration from the iconic 16th-century artist and Renaissance man, Leonardo Da Vinci, embodying a standard of luxury that is rarely witnessed, standing at the very core of sophistication, art, and architecture.
LeonardoBySujimoto comes with limited-edition sanitary ware by Zaha Hadid, as well as other top-of-the-line features and facilities such as full home automation, Offending mediocrity interior by renowned luxury brand Fendi, a fully fitted European Standard kitchen, 3 metre doors, Duravit’s by Phillip Stark, Award-winning sanitary ware, Simone Saragoni’s Technogym Olympic size temperature-regulated swimming pool, Mini-mart, Mini-clinic, Hair salon, interactive lobby of 5-star hotel standard, squash court, 48-seater B&0 standard IMAX cinema, indoor virtual golf, luxury spa, bar & Lounge, and many more.
It is paramount to note that over the years, Sujimoto Group ‘The Talk and Do’ luxury real estate giant has established a firm reputation with its successfully scaled projects, based on a solid brand identity and philosophy of keeping stakeholders and customers at heart. The brand has over time established cash cow projects that have seen over 200% ROI for current investors as well as stakeholders.
