Personality in Focus
The Phenomenal Rise of Estate Giant, Sijibomi Ogundele (Sujimoto)
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The story of Sijibomi Ogundele, better known as “Sujimoto” who is now one of the youngest billionaire in Nigeria is inspiring and a reference point for a youngman, who desires to conquer. It is worthy of note that as at today, Sijibomi sits atop over $400 million worth company.
Dressed in a simple Polo T-Shirt on a Friday Evening, Sijibomi Ogundele, Nigeria’s youngest Billionaire and Luxury Real Estate Czar, can be seen on the Lucrezia project site, in the prestigious Banana Island neighborhood, inspecting the work done and ensuring every ‘i’ is dotted and every ‘t’ is crossed.
No one would have thought that this man, who is currently worth billions, was once a Souvenir hawker in France and also did alabaru for his trader Mum in Africa’s most populous market – Oke-Arin, where he was nurtured by enterprising Igbo Traders, which ignited his passion for business.
Growing up in the slum of Agege, as a little 8-year-old, Sijibomi’s first introduction to Entrepreneurship was when he started a bike business popularly called‘Okada’ business, from his little savings. Despite the usual African Parent’s disapproval, he drew inspiration from his mother’s entrepreneurial spirit and grew his Okada business from 1 to 6 motorcycles, a testament to his strong, resolute and resilient business mind.
A rose that grew from concrete, Mr. Ogundele who is only 39 has built his company, Sujimoto Group, in just 5 years, into a Luxury Construction behemoth, focused on building extraordinary edifices in premium neighborhoods of Ikoyi and Banana Island. With annual revenue of approximately $30 million and many other pending projects, Mr. Ogundele believes the Sujimoto group is worth over $400 Million.
His look may be modest but his ambition belies his modesty. After an encounter with the King of Dubai who pushed his ambitious project – LorenzoBySujimoto, from 15 Storey building to a 30 storey building, reminding him that; “To be second is to be last! If people in their 30’s are building 5000 units annually in Asia, 75 units shouldn’t scare you.”According to Mr. Ogundele; “I believe in Nigeria. My passion comes from my patriotism. I believe that the Nigeria that produced the MKOs, the Dantatas, and the Ojukwus, also has something great in store for me.”
The Lawyer tuned Entrepreneur who is son to a John Holt Manager and a trader mother never had the opportunity to attend King’s College or other expensive private schools but attended public schools. With a dream to revolutionize the Nigerian Luxury real estate space and an ambition taller than the Burj Khalifa, one can only wonder how he has steered his company to survive the brutal economic recessions within the last 5 years, growing stronger, bigger and better, to the consternation of the pessimists.
Sujimoto’s Giuliano project which is 100% covered in travertine stone, fully automated, 1st project with each unit having its private elevator and an award-winning Zaha Hadid Bathroom for Porscelanosa, set the standard for a luxury terrace in Banana Island, attracting clients like MD of multinationals, billionaires and music entrepreneur – Davido.
A stone throws from the Giuliano; Sujimoto is building what has been dubbed the tallest residential building in Banana Island – the LucreziaBySujimoto. A revolutionary building, never before seen in Nigeria or Africa! The first building with Glass Reinforced Concrete (GRC) façade, Full Home Automation, private IMAX Cinema for the residents, standard crèche, Indoor Virtual Golf with over 2,500 courses worldwide to play on, swimming pool in the sky and other exciting features. Sitting on the 12th floor is the best penthouse in Africa. A project that sets an enviable standard for luxury residential apartments in Nigeria with a sales value worth $46 and a delivery deadline of December 2021.
Speaking on the Lucrezia, Mr. Ogundele made a startling revelation; “We are building the best condominium not only in Nigeria but also in Africa. The Lucrezia Penthouse comes with a private elevator, private cinema, private golf, private gym, and a private pool! The Lucrezia is very special to us because Sujimoto is divesting from Residential Projects with 80% of our real estate interest into Commercial Projects.
When asked about the company’s plan to accommodate smaller units, Mr. Ogundele was very quick to add that the company has a new project that is almost sold out! According to him; “Many people have approached us about building smaller and more affordable units with the Sujimoto standard and we have responded with a revolutionary project called the LeonardoBySujimoto. With LeonardoBySujimoto, you can own a Sujimoto Apartment without breaking the Bank. We have studied the best apartments and what we are creating, beats the best.
The Affordable Luxury Project – Leonardo, comes in 2, 3, and 4 Bedroom Units and it is a great investment offer as the 3 bedrooms which are currently selling for N250million will go for N450million once the project is launched later in the year. According to Mr. Ogundele, the present pricing still beats the best apartments in Bourdillon and Eko Atlantic. He also noted that the current price offer will expire by the end of the month.
PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Hotel Outlook for 2018-2022 has projected that the hospitality market in Nigeria will experience a compound annual increase in the next 5 years.
According to Ogundele, the same passion with which we redefined luxury living in Nigeria, is the same passion we are bringing into the Nigerian Hospitality and Commercial space. We have toured some of the best hotels in the world such as the Address Hotel, Downtown Dubai, the Baccarat Hotel in New York City, and the Dorchester Hotel in London. Sujimoto is building the S-Hotel, African hospitality with a Four Season services. We are building a hotel that is Customer addictive, where putting the customer 1st becomes our priority, from Janitor to General Managers.
Three fundamental qualities separate the S hotel from others: Design, Price, and Service. The plan is to get rid of mediocre experience in the hospitality industry, building one luxury hotel at a time. The focus, therefore, is to build one luxury hotel in the State capital city of every African country, starting from the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria. The plan is before 2030, we would have built over 100 luxury hotels with 16,000 rooms, worth $1.9 billion in the portfolio, a move which will bring the company’s overall worth to over $5 billion in 10 years.
In addition to the company’s expansion plan, Mr. Ogundele made it known that Sujimoto is building a world-class Plaza, first of its kind, in Ikoyi and Abuja, with a 2021 and 2022 projection for completion. This 6-in-1 Plaza by Sujimoto is a contemporary one-stop-shop retail and hospitality center, featuring innovative state-of-the-art equipment, rooftop lounge, and bar, premium restaurants, world-class gym, retail shops other premium features.
Upon completion, each project should be valued at approximately N47 Billion, with a combined rental income of about N11billion annually. According to Mr. Ogundele, ‘By 2030, we hope to have completed 61 different malls and plazas in Nigeria and across major African cities, a portfolio worth about $3billion.”
Despite the huge effect of the COVID-19 on businesses and economies, where banks have put a halt to every construction project, Sujimoto just raised N3.5 Billion for the Lucrezia which is sold out with just 2 units left! According to Mr. Ogundele Sujimoto;
“At Sujimoto, we do not see a recession, because for us crises are opportunities disguised as problems! We have developed a highly viable and profitable strategy and found an opportunity for savvy investors to invest N5 billion into Sujimoto and get N10 billion back in 3 years.
This is debt and not equity, and it is guaranteed. Treasury bills and other money market instruments will give you a 5 – 10% ROI on your investment but this is 100% ROI and it is guaranteed! This investment is NOT for everyone, it is ONLY for the vital few, who can identify opportunities when they see one.
One of the reasons why Sujimoto can stand out and guarantee good price and quality is the strength of the company’s procurement capacity and global reach. Mr. Ogundele explained that “We don’t use 3rd parties when it comes to projects; we speak directly to the manufacturers because we want to guarantee two fundamental things – prudent spending and assurance of quality. With offices in Dubai, Gwanzo, and New York City and numerous ambitious projects, one wonders what Sujimoto Group will be worth in 10 years to come.
According to Mr. Ogundele; “Our biggest motivation is our critics because, without them, we couldn’t have come this far. There’s nothing we have today, that we got on a platter of gold. We worked two times harder, 3 times more, just to prove that without a rich Aunty or Uncle, you can get to your destiny”.
Speaking on some of the challenges he has had to contend with in business, Mr. Ogundele recalled the event of 2016 and 2017 where he had conceived and developed the biggest project in Nigeria, over 90 Million USD to build the tallest residential building in Sub-Saharan Africa – the LorenzoBySujimoto.
“After all the investment in time, money, and passion, the recession hit badly, and investors pulled out. The economy was so bad that I had to refund hundreds of millions to our off-takers. Amid the chaos, like the phoenix that rises from the ashes, the Giuliano project was born! A project of terrace houses in Africa’s richest neighborhood – Banana Island. And 20 months after, the record-breaking Giuliano has metamorphosed from a proof-of-concept to a proof-of-product! Fully sold-out 6-Months before completion.”
Many have opined that the young and dynamic Motomatician might be eyeing a political position, but according to Mr. Ogundele, “the business of politics is bigger than the politics of business. We are focused on business but we shall support the government. To us, the Government is like a beautiful woman, marry her only when she is an asset, not a liability.”
When asked if he was married, the single and eligible bachelor who insisted he was married without a wife, claimed that his wife is young and very jealous, she’s Sujimoto.
The Obi of Onitsha, His Majesty Igwe Alfred Nnaemeka Achebe, has commended Globacom for its unwavering commitment to the preservation and promotion of Nigeria’s cultural heritage, noting that the telecommunications company’s sustained support has helped transform the Ofala Festival into a world-renowned cultural celebration.
Speaking on the 2026 edition of the festival, held at Ime Obi, Onitsha, Anambra State, on Friday, the monarch paid a glowing tribute to Globacom for its longstanding role as the principal sponsor of the festival, a partnership that has spanned fifteen consecutive years since 2011.
According to the monarch, “Their partnership has transformed the festival from a palace ritual to a world-renowned cultural festival owes a great deal to purposeful partnership. Since 2011, Globacom has stood with us as our principal partner – now fifteen consecutive years of unwavering commitment.” He added that “In good times and challenging times, Globacom has helped us preserve the authenticity of Ofala while enhancing its presentation, documentation, broadcast and global reach. They have helped take a living heritage to the global stage”.
Igwe Achebe also applauded the vision of Globacom’s Chairman, Dr Mike Adenuga Jr., whose commitment to cultural preservation, he noted, reflects a profound appreciation of the role of indigenous traditions in strengthening national identity and social cohesion.
“I thank Globacom and its Chairman, Otunba (Dr) Mike Adenuga Jr., GCON, a true man of culture, for his vision and belief that culture is not a luxury but a foundation for unity,” the monarch said.
Commenting on the theme of this year’s festival, “Igba Mbo, Iga N’Iru” — Strive and Advance — Igwe Achebe described it as a compelling call to diligence, excellence, self-improvement and collective progress. He explained that the theme embodied the enduring spirit of the forebears who built the Onitsha kingdom on the banks of the Niger, while challenging younger generations to preserve that legacy through enterprise, purposeful endeavour and a commitment to progress.
In his goodwill message to the monarch and the people of Onitsha, Dr Adenuga described Globacom’s association with the Ofala Festival “since 2011 has been much more than a corporate partnership. It has been a relationship which we cherish deeply and regard as a privilege”. He expressed profound appreciation to Igwe Achebe for the opportunity afforded Globacom to contribute to the preservation, celebration and wider projection of the community’s priceless cultural heritage.
He noted that the annual festival provides a valuable platform for showcasing the rich cultural traditions, dignity and enduring values of the Onitsha people to audiences across Nigeria, Africa and the wider world.
Through its longstanding partnership with Ofala, Globacom continues to demonstrate that corporate citizenship extends beyond commercial enterprise to the preservation of the cultural foundations that give communities their identity, strengthen their unity and connect generations.
Kardinal Business Travel, a travel technology company with African and global focus, was among 60 startups that pitched at the 2nd edition of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Startup Awards, held at the ECOWAS Commission headquarters in Abuja recently.
The company’s Chief Executive Officer and Founder, Cornelius Ugwunwa, presented the company’s case at the three-day event. The awards was part of an ECOWAS initiative to help West African businesses and startups scale through digital transformation, regional integration and sustainable value chains, with the aim of widening access to global markets.
Temitope Kareem, founder of Nigerian healthtech firm HubPharm Africa, won the top prize of $30,000. Senegal’s Gaynako took home $20,000 as first runner-up, while Steve Bah Blesson’s MyOpinion from Côte d’Ivoire won $15,000 as second runner-up.
Speaking during his pitch, Ugwunwa said Africa needs a new system for business travel. He cited a market with $75 billion in inbound travel spending and a strong business travel component in 2025, while travel and tourism as a whole contributed $228 billion to the regional economy.
“When a company sends its employees across Africa for a business engagement, we at Kardinal noticed the challenges of countless inboxes, spreadsheets and emails, mostly after the trip.
Businesses keep asking: How much did we spend? Who did we spend it on? Was it above or below budget? Can we reconcile everything on one platform?” he said.
He described African business travel as a $30 billion market that is largely fragmented and overly dependent on manual processes.
According to him, many businesses lose over $1 billion to manual travel processing and cannot track spending in real time. “That is why Kardinal exists: to solve this entrenched problem,” he said.
Ugwunwa said GoKardinal is an artificial intelligence-driven platform built to track expenses for African businesses. It brings the entire business travel lifecycle (planning, budgeting, booking, financing and expense tracking) onto one platform, in real time.
“GoKardinal is not another travel platform. It is an infrastructure for business travel, powered by AI for expense management,” he said, adding that the idea is to help businesses move without delay from one location to another to do their best work, expand and make profit.
On the company’s performance, he said the platform serves over 51 businesses in Nigeria and across Africa, with estimated weekly profit of $10,000 and gross merchandise value of over $1 million, growing at 65 per cent annually. he added.
He noted that about 80 per cent of African businesses still run their business travel manually, without any form of expense tracking, in a market worth over $30 billion annually. “African business travel is not just travelling for the fun of it.
It is an ecosystem with the potential to generate over $70 billion when digitalised,” Ugwunwa said.
The President of Security Resources & Risk Management Academy, Lagos, Mr. Matthew Ibadin, has charged officers of the Nigerian Armed Forces and allied nations to practice emotional discipline, warning that unmanaged anger remains a greater threat to a Staff Officer than the enemy.
Ibadin, who is also a doctoral researcher at the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) and University of Abuja, stated this on Monday while delivering a lecture on “Emotional Discipline Under Pressure and Anger Management for Staff Officers” to participants of Senior Course 48 at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College (AFCSC), Jaji, Kaduna.
The lecture was attended by 436 officers comprising the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Air Force and officers from eight friendly nations.
Describing anger as “a temporary madness that leaves a permanent record,” Ibadin warned officers that “the line between a respected officer and an inmate is thinner than you can imagine.”
“Anger may enter the room, but must never take command,” he said.
The Lion Principle
Illustrating his point with the parable of the lions, Ibadin noted that while both male and female lions roar, the female roars only when necessary and lives 15-18 years compared to 10-12 years for the male.
“She lives longer not because she is weaker, but because she is more disciplined. Many of us have become male lions in uniform – fighting juniors, spouses, traffic, minor disagreements even when no real threat exists. That constant agitation slowly destroys what you have built,” he said.
He therefore charged officers to “be a female lion in strategy and a male lion only when tactically necessary.”
Five Battlefields Where Anger Destroys
Ibadin identified five battlefields where undisciplined anger destroys officers: Health, Home Front, Office and Command, Career and Prison, and Relationships.
On health, he described anger as a silent killer that triggers hypertension, stroke and cardiac arrest, noting that many officers survive the war front but do not survive peacetime.
“At Jaji, your rank commands respect, but at home your rank is irrelevant. If you win at the office and lose at home, you have lost. An officer whose home is under emotional fire cannot think clearly at the command post,” he cautioned.
He warned that signatures appended in anger to operational orders, procurement papers and personnel assessments could lead to Boards of Inquiry, career ruin and mission failure.
He added that 70 percent of inmates in correctional centres for murder never planned to kill, but acted in a moment of unmanaged anger.
Practical Tools
Ibadin introduced practical tools including the 90-Second Rule and the S.T.O.P Protocol – Stop, Take a Breath (4-4-4), Observe, and Proceed with Discipline – for decisions under pressure.
He adopted Aristotle’s five tests for disciplining anger: Right Person, Right Reason, Right Time, Right Degree, and Right Manner.
