The Nation Newspaper

Category: Glamour

  • Moji Akinwunmi now bubbles

    Moji Akinwunmi now bubbles

    At present, Moji Akinwunmi has decided to take sabbatical from the social scene and savour the bliss of her second marriage to Professor Abiodun Akinwumi.

    Not only that, the beautiful socialite now runs a home and gift store, Angelikas, on the island. Featured in the store were beautifully exquisite and creative pieces thoughtfully designed by some of the world’s most amazing designers.

    Her messy divorce details from the former president’s son made headlines while it lasted. She has since moved on and left the ugly incident in her past. She is now happy with her new husband and they have been inseparable ever since they contracted their marriage.

  • John Fashanu finds love again

    John Fashanu finds love again

    Former footballer turned sports consultant, John Fashanu, may have put the sordid tales of his failed marriage to Abigail Igwe behind him.

    The 53-year-old ex-footballer is said to have found love again in the arms of Abuja-based media personality, Rachel Bakam, who used to be married to ace broadcaster, Israel Edjeren. The two lovebirds were spotted at an event recently in Lagos. They seemed to be enjoying each other’s company as they were all over each other.

    The two lovebirds have become an item for a while now after they both recovered from messy divorce from their estranged partners.

    John Fashanu is separated from his wife, Abigail Onyekwelu Igwe, mother of former beauty queen, Adaeze Yobo, and mother-in-law of former Super Eagles captain, Joseph Yobo.

  • Precious Chikwendu and FFK expectant

    Precious Chikwendu and FFK expectant

    Precious Chikwendu, ex-beauty queen and heartthrob of the former aviation minister, Femi Fani Kayode, is in her best moments.  The lovebirds are expecting their first child together. Last weekend, friends and well-wishers stormed their Asokoro home in the Federal Capital Territory to celebrate their baby shower in preparation of the arrival of the patter tiny feet. The expectant mother is said to be close to her delivery date.

    Last May, the former minister went all out to wish the former beauty queen a happy birthday on twitter as he shared photos of her aboard a private jet, and at home with many gifts  champagne, roses and gift boxes.

    Also last October, the lover boy reportedly penned a love poem for his beau, fondly called Snow White ‘From the hills of Ohafia and the valleys of Abriba comes you that makes me smile. From the forests of Umuahia and the lush green fields of Nanka comes you that brings me joy. From the eastern shores of our nation where stars shine brightly and from whence comes men whose spirits cannot be broken comes you that gives me hope. From the lineage of those who dare to believe and from the stock of those who soar like eagles comes you that creates new beginnings. God brought you my way and has given me a new lease of life. What a gift you are – not just to me but also to humanity’, the poem reads.

  • Halima Dangote takes charge

    Halima Dangote takes charge

    Halima, one of the daughters of Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, has proved that she is a chip of the old block. The mother of two, who is the executive director of Dangote Foundation, with her team are building a world class diagnostics and laboratory complex valued at N7b at the Murtala Muhammed Specialist Hospital, Kano.
    Halima is a marketing graduate of America Intercontinental University, London. She raised the bar at Webster Business School, London, immediately after her first degree to obtain Masters of Business Administration.

  • Asuquo Ekpenyong shines

    Asuquo Ekpenyong shines

    Asuquo Ekpenyong, the commissioner for Finance in Cross River State, is now the youngest serving commissioner in the country. Ekpenyong’s nomination had raised eyebrows because of his age and the fact that he is not a career politician. But the dynamic and charming dude is ready to bring his wealth of experience to table in the Ben Ayade-led administration.

    The Odukpani local government area, Cross River State-born Ekpenyong is a graduate of Economics from the University of Reading, United Kingdom (UK), and holds Masters degree in International Banking and Financial Services from the same institution.

    After a brief working stint in England, he returned to Nigeria to work as a financial analyst at Davandy Finance & Securities Limited, Lagos and then relocated to Cross River where he was appointed a lecturer in the Banking and Finance Department of the University of Calabar, Cross River State. As a young industrious entrepreneur, he established Iquasu Ventures Limited, a haulage and logistics company in 2010. He later took over as Managing Director of Chamley Bureau de Change Limited. Asuquo’s expertise led to his appointment as Executive Director for Finance at Pearland Energy, an indigenous oil & gas company, and Non-Executive Director at Ekondo Microfinance Bank Limited.

  • Laguda opens luxury bridal stores

    Laguda opens luxury bridal stores

    The last two months in the fashion industry have witnessed opulence, class, colour, crazy and innovative fashion designs showcasing foreign and indigenous fabrics. Last Sunday, the much awaited Yeside Laguda luxury bridal store and ready-to-wear line was launched at the  G&W House, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos. Yeside Laguda is the daughter of the Minister of Information, Culture & National Orientations, Alhaji Lai Mohammed. The event was preceded by a red carpet/cocktail.

  • My late mum taught me selflessness -OMONI OBOLI

    My late mum taught me selflessness -OMONI OBOLI

    For Omoni Oboli, 2015 is turning out to be the year of outstanding and mind-blowing achievements especially after she was announced as Nollywood/Entertainment Personality of the Year 2015 by The Sun newspaper, taking over from popular music producer, Don Jazzy, who won for the year 2014 and she signed an ambassadorial deal with popular family dairy, Nunu Milk, a few days ago.

    Omoni Oboli’s stellar performance in “The Figurine”, “Render to Caesar” and “Anchor Baby” established her as one of the most talented actresses in Nigeria’s movie industry.

    In 2014, she had released her first directorial debut “Being Mrs Elliot” and it was widely considered as the game changer in the Nollywood industry. To top that, the movie did exceedingly well at the cinemas. It was a massive hit in film houses throughout the last quarter of 2014. The movie which starred Omoni alongside AY, Majid Michel, Lepacious Bose, Uru Eke, Seun Akindele, among others, earned rave reviews from industry professionals and top media practitioners.

    The impeccable actress did not rest on her oars, and in 2015 she also wrote and directed “The First Lady” which cast included Alex Ekubo, Joseph Benjamin, Yvonne Jegede, Chinedu Ikedieze, among others. The movie surpassed her previous movie in box office earnings and also earned her cult followership across the federation. The tour she embarked on with other cast members to promote the flick endeared her to her fans that had the opportunity to catch a glimpse of their heroine.

    Omoni Oboli now sits atop the throne as Nigeria’s number one trending actress of 2015. And she has a lot to be happy about. She has just penned an endorsement deal with Nunu Milk to become their brand ambassador. This new development is a testament to her growing influence and popularity among Nigerians.

    With her huge achievements in the year, who influenced her while growing up?  Oboli revealed that her late mum taught her selflessness. According to her, “I have always had that mothering instinct and I think I got it from my mum and her selflessness. I have always been a mother even before having kids. Everyone will be like ‘oh, stop mothering us’. My mother taught me everything I know about being a great mom! All I do is follow her example. She taught me humility. She is the reason I know that pride goes before a fall.”

    The screen goddess who writes all the scripts for her movies noted that a good script starts with the story: “The story first of all has to be captivating. It has to be a story that if I am telling it to you, you will be enraptured, you will listen, and you will love the story. So, the story itself before being written has to be captivating. Then the writing style is also important, you know, the dialogue shouldn’t be just plain. The way the story is being developed is also important. If I tell you the story and you like it doesn’t mean that it will be a great script. If it is not developed properly, if the scenes are not crafted properly, it might come out looking bad. So, the crafting of the scene is very important and the dialogue is also very important.”

    So how is life as a movie director? The graduate of New York Film Academy (NYFA) revealed that her first love will always be acting, though she loves being a director. “Being a director makes it possible for me to give birth to what I write. I have always been writing since when I was a little girl. I love writing. When you write and someone else directs it, it takes on the life of that person, really. That is why they say a movie is by a director. The fact that I brought the money to shoot the movie doesn’t make it my movie, but it becomes my movie when I direct it, because that script is from my point of view, that script is being seen from where I am standing. So, for me, directing means being able to give my script my DNA.”

    She has been married for 15 years, how does she juggle between her career, marriage and motherhood? The Nunu ambassador was quick to say that it is not easy. “Every woman, every mother knows that it is not easy. It is the same way a woman who works at the bank finds it difficult to balance everything.”

    She continued: “You are juggling so many balls and you are trying to make sure you don’t drop any of the balls. It is difficult, but if you have a good support system, it helps a lot better. If you have people at home who help you cook, clean and do whatever it takes to care for your kids, including a supportive husband, it helps.”

    Frankly, the mother of three revealed that sometimes one of the balls may drop. But one does not need to condemn oneself when this happens. “Every once in a while one of the balls will drop. The thing I found is that, don’t beat yourself up when that happens, because what we do as mothers, wives or anything we are, is that anytime we drop a ball, we start to feel guilty. You know this whole self-condemnation that ‘I am not a good mother’. In today’s world, both parties work that is the only way to make ends meet except for the fact that you are a multi-millionaire which most of us aren’t. A lot of billionaires’ wives still work, because they want a sense of purpose other than just sit at home. Don’t beat yourself up. Do the best you can, pray, commit everything into God’s hands and keep moving.”

    What’s the secret of her success in marriage? “Communication is the key and the decision to stay married by both parties. I am in this forever, so I would do whatever it takes to make it work, and the friendship that you share is also very important,” the talented actress noted.

  • Kayode Fahm: My journey from Finance to Charity Runway

    Kayode Fahm: My journey from Finance to Charity Runway

    Kayode Fahm is a man of many parts. Over the years, he has worked with globally known audit firms, Arthur Anderson, Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, and the National Bank of Saudi Arabia.  He has also lived and worked in several countries on separate continents. At the moment, the gentleman who graduated with honours in Mathematics from the Imperial College of Science and Technology in London is passionate about charity runway, an initiative that helps to discover the talents in young people. In this interview with Yetunde Oladeinde, he talks about life as a movie maker, motivational speaker, classical guitarist, finance and money market expert, martial artist and more.

    You are a man of many parts, which was the first line of business that you went into?

    Kayode Fahm MAS II Day 1_0260 copyI started with consulting, financial consulting and then I decided that I wanted to go into the performing arts. That is speaking and performing as a musician. That wasn’t easy but I started getting things together. But some people did not want to pay. So you were kind of doing things for free. It took a while before I started getting something back. Luckily, it was something that I loved to do. I also started working on media, producing videos and doing my martial arts. Here again, I had to spend my money doing the videos and nobody paid. Then, one day, a company came and asked if I could make the videos for them and they paid. That was the first break and then another big break came. They liked the videos and asked how much they could pay for it.

    So the break came from martial arts?

    Yes! And from martial arts, I went into producing health and fitness videos. They are all on my websites and people liked the videos and sponsors began to come.

    What is the name of your health and fitness outfit?

    Fahm fit. That is the brand. Now, I am making the motivational videos, health and fitness, martial arts and short films. Anything that would motivate our people. I made a short film called, ’The Dream’. It is about pursuing your dream. I also made another short film titled, ‘It’s time’. The message here is that it is time for change. It is time to re-orientate our minds. It is time to become more disciplined, to delay gratification and be more entrepreneurial. We must not be afraid to move out of our comfort zone. It is time for Nigeria to take its place in the global economy as a people in the world. I am really hoping that this new administration is going to help to make this happen.

    What did you study?

    I studied Mathematics in Imperial College in London.

    Could we say that you were a bookworm?

    I was multi skilled. I was good in books, good with figures and more. Even if you were a book worm, it doesn’t mean that you can’t be a well rounded musician.  So I would say to bookworms out there,‘don’t feel that you can do only one thing, open up and do more.’

    Do you think that there are some things that you wish you did that you have not done?

    Not really. I have gone for my dreams; I have gone for my goals. Sometimes, I think that I should have gone for media and films a little much younger but when I think of how I have come through finance, done all the things that I have done, I have taught in virtually all parts of the world, then I say maybe it’s time to do media and films now because you now have a track record.

    Tell us some of the places where you have lectured

    I have lectured in the United States, United Kingdom, France, Far East, Middle East, South Africa, East Africa, Central Africa and throughout West Africa. Early in the day, I used to teach Mathematics in different locations.

     What gives you the energy to do the things that you do?
    Passion! I havebeen passionate about the things that I do since I was a young boy. I have always been multi talented. I guess when I was younger I just believed that, that was how my journey was going to be, doing a number of different things well. I think that the globalisation competition, the way the world is right now, the African must be multi talented. We need role models on how it needs to be. You can see what is going on in Nigeria; most Nigerians have more than one job going on.

    You just had a session with young people. How would you assess them?

    They are ambitious,they dream big, they want to see the world as it is now. Technology has made them dreamers. They are less keen to go the way their parents went. A lot of them want to be entrepreneurs. A lot of them want to go into music, alternatives that parents used to frown at in the past. Now you can see the way the music industry is opening up. You can also see the way Nollywood is opening up, there is a lot more of entrepreneurship. A lot of people know that they don’t have to be lawyers or doctors. On that side, it is very good. But on the other side, a lot of them are not equipped for the careers they have chosen. They don’t focus enough, they are not discreet enough. A lot of them come out of school and they don’t really have the basic skills, the academic qualifications required and even beyond the academics. The principal skills and the leadership skills are not there and because of that they still face a big challenge along the way.

    Some people are hard working and passionate about their dream but they are hindered by the corruption in the system. How can they find their way around this?

    Corruption is something that is really holding the country back; it is holding our people back. What I would say to these people is that don’t compromise your values. Don’t cut corners, don’t be short-term when it comes to your ambitions. Stay tuned to what you believe in, your values.  You may not make the billions but you will get compensated in something else. You would be compensated in self worth. You would be compensated in character and in the long run you would be the person that would succeed and you would be regarded. Reputation is everything. Do not do anything that would undermine your reputation.

    We have a new government in the country. What are your expectations?

    I am expecting a lot from this administration. Iam expecting them to tackle corruption and I am also expecting them to tackle the economy. Even though I am seeing the move on corruption, I am not seeing the move on the economy.  We do need the move to get there. We have got to diversify from oil; we have to move to get jobs for our people. We have got to move to entrepreneurship because not everybody can work in the bank or the corporate sector. Then we need to see the government work with the private sector to get the people to create jobs and let our people do what they need to do. We need to make the economy more diverse and I think that is what we need right now. I am expecting a lot.

    Talking about entrepreneurship, electricity has been a big challenge for many. Now that we have a new minister for power, do you see hope for the sector?

    The view is that the former governor of Lagos State, BabatundeFashola, did a good job in the state. Now as minister of power, I expect him to tackle that ministry the same way he tackled Lagos State. I do expect to see some progress and I think there has been some progress since the new government took over. A lot of people have noticed that there has been more power than usual, however we are not yet close to where we need to be. I believe that the new minister should go for it and really turn the sector around. If we do not have the power that we need, we cannot compete globally. We cannot create the product that we need. We would constantly be importing products and as we do this, we would be paying for foreign families and foreign companies to put food on their table. So we find that we have to export but we cannot compete without power. The cost of production would be too high. So it is very fundamental and the minister has to tackle it, sort out the massive corruption that is holding us back. Once he deals with that, the country would be better for it.

    A lot of people have the challenge of starting their businesses. How easy was it?
    It was difficult for me, just as it is difficult for them now. There are two approaches. You go into entrepreneurship straight from school and you go to the bank and they give you money. Abroad, they give you grant. They give you free loans. This is not so in Nigeria.  Usually, entrepreneurs here get money from their family members like uncles, aunts and grandparents. If you are lucky enough, great. If you are not so lucky, then you do what I did. Work and save. I was in finance; I got money but didn’t spend.
    Spending meant that you have a social life. Did you have that?
    Minimal. Remember I said you have to pay to play. You need delayed gratification to enjoy tomorrow. So save the money and you can build the capital to start up. Then when you are ready, you start small and run it parallel with your job and now know when to let the job go and go full-time. So that when you go to the bank, it would be for additional capital. The bank now would take you seriously because there is a track record. Banks usually like to see a track record, especially when you need credit facility.

  • CYNTHIA MORGAN- ‘My tattoo represents violence in music’

    CYNTHIA MORGAN- ‘My tattoo represents violence in music’

    You have been tagged sexy. What does this mean to you? I think sexy is that aura that you carry around you before people say it. It is what people see. First of all, you must be sexy inside before people recognise it. Though sexy is not my priority now, I try to be real as possible.

    Musically, how has it been for you?

    It has been great. I have been like six years in the game now and it has been work, work and work all through. We are getting there, despite that it is not easy for female artistes. But when people respect your talent and your style is different with faith in God, one will go places.   Professionally, I started when I was seventeen. I did my first collaboration with General Pype when I was seventeen years. I also featured alongside Jhybo when I was nineteen in 2009/2010. I am 22 now.

    So, what will you now say is your strong point?

    My strength lies in my sound and talent. You can’t have a brand and not have a sound and, either way, I think the two work hand in hand. My strength also lies in God because you could create something outstanding and people may not notice it without the favour of God. So, my strength lies in God, talent and brand.

    You sing dancehall. What inspires your kind of music?

    People say I do dancehall. I will say I listen to R&B, Pop, Jazz, Rap while growing up. My mum is a gospel artiste and growing up I was able to pick from different genres of music I listened to. I basically do everything but people notice that I do a lot of dancehall. So you can’t really box me into any particular genre of music. I personally created my genre of music. Every new material from me is a different kind of Cynthia Morgan and people have come to appreciate that. I always want to wow my fans because there is more to Cynthia Morgan.

    Who would you say influenced you early in life?

    My grandparents, my mum and my uncles. I grew up with my grandparents being an only child and I don’t have a father figure. I can say I inspire myself to an extent because I wanted to be different; a figure that people would say she is able to do this for herself despite that she didn’t have this or that. Life is what made me who I am today. My mum is also a strong figure in my life and my story of being raised by a single parent transcends to who I am today.

    Take music away, who is Cynthia Morgan?

    A young lady that is quiet and homely. Personally, I love to be with my family and care for people. I dream for a living. Fame has not changed anything in me.  I try to be humble, I still call my friends. I have been able to manage the two and not get caught into doing what I am not supposed to do. I believe in God and love to make people happy. I believe whatever you can dream, you can get.

    What inspired your songs Don’t break my heart and I’m taken?

    As a creative artiste, I get inspired with what is happening around me. When I am writing my songs, I concentrate on myself and my fans. Don’t break my heart is about me, to an extent. It’s a song that people do love because it connects with everybody. If you are in a relationship, the first thing that comes to your head is that ‘I don’t want this person to mess up’. ‘I don’t want to put my heart into it. I don’t want to do this, I don’t want to do that.’ It’s a common thing. But the depth in the song brought the whole message out. It’s about an African woman who is happily in love and who doesn’t want to be heart-broken. And with I’m taken, people think I am talking about relationship. I am saying I have been taken my fans. When you listen to the lyrics you will understand. I’m saying I’m in demand and I’m taken by my fans. It is good that people can relate it to other things.

    What inspired your recent raunchy photo shoots?

    Personally for an artiste, besides music, you have to be creative when it comes to your branding, your pictures, your performances and stage craft. Pictures are part of the things that brand an artiste. A lot of people say different kind of stuffs, but when you start something in Nigeria or in Africa, people start talking. We are in the 21st century and Nigeria is not like America. When I create a song, I can actually create the video in my head. So, it’s all about the craft and the branding. I wasn’t actually nude, I was wearing a tattoo and a pair of snickers. It’s just about being different and people are definitely going to talk. It’s part of the whole business. If they don’t talk, you don’t make money. So they just have to keep talking.

    You have a gun tattoo on your body, what does it mean to you?

    I am a fan of art and I am an artiste. It is all about creativity. I have a gun tattoo and I know that girls normally wear roses and heart tattoos, but I am a different kind of person because I am Cynthia Morgan which stands for being distinct. My tattoo represents violence in music; it’s just a symbol that confirms the image of a bad girl.

    Criticisms have trailed your skin bleaching. How do you feel?

    People who complain about my skin tone are clearly those who do not know me very well. I did not bleach my skin. One thing people fail to understand is that you cannot remain the same forever. The only constant thing is change.  I have grown into a beautiful woman.

    How will you describe your style?

    In as much as I try to be in vogue. I like to wear what I am comfortable in. My style is colourful and young.

    What fashion item is hot for you now?

    That will be shoes.

  • ‘Any man who can’t impress his Crowd should not step out’

    ‘Any man who can’t impress his Crowd should not step out’

    Sijibomi Ogundele runs Sujimoto Group. The nation’s youngest billionaire recently featured in Forbes Africa as a brave young entrepreneur, an astute businessman with the capacity to change the Nigerian real-estate industry and stylish entrepreneur in his 30s shares with ADETUTU AUDU his humble beginning.

    SHARE with us your experience of your meeting with the Prime Minister and Vice President of the United Arab Emirates and Emir of Dubai?

    Sheihk Mohammed Al Maktoum is one of the greatest visionaries of all time. His works as seen in Dubai today affirm that dreams can be transformed into reality. It was a brief encounter that made a great impact in my life and one I will find difficult to forget. Bear in mind that this is a man of vision and innovation that I have admired and looked up to for so long that when the opportunity to actually meet and discuss with him arose, I seized it. The defining moment that day was the advice and words of encouragement he gave me. He made me understand that the sky should be my starting point and never limit my dreams if I’m ever to achieve greatness. He added that I can relax if ‘ordinary’ was my interest. I find it strange how a king that knows nothing about me can give counsel that fills me with hope and inspiration. Meanwhile, I get discouraged about my ambitions countless times from close associates.

    You took the real estate sector by storm. The real estate industry in Nigeria has to be one of the most challenging industries so far and very few investment strategist and ventures capitalist go into this sector. What inspired your move into this industry?

     Currently, real estate in Nigeria is next to oil. The fact that we have a housing deficit in the country speaks volumes of the opportunities in this sector. It is challenging due to various factors, but it is not impossible to overcome if planning and execution from a financial point of view down to construction are diligently done. In whatever I do, I go into it with an optimistic mindset. Coupled with my exposure, this has consciously elevated my standards and expectations in life; failure is not an option. To answer the latter part of your question, I bought and renovated an apartment in Paris. To my friends, it seemed like quite a lavish expenditure, but a friend saw the beauty, the opportunity and bought it for double the price within two months; today that property has doubled in value. The investment flip in such short time ignited my interest in real estate and changed my career path.

    Recently, you were featured in Forbes Africa as a brave young entrepreneur, an astute businessman with the capacity to change the Nigerian real-estate industry, what does this mean to you?

    For me, to be second is to be last. I approach any industry with a position of abundance, not lack. I’m quite humbled by the acknowledgement and will continue to contribute to the real estate industry in every way that I can. My mind set is quite unique, that’s why I can’t resist voicing my discontentment and doing something about it when the highest standard is not set. It is a popular notion in developed countries that today’s order winning criterion is tomorrow’s qualifying criterion, in the sense that people’s expectations change over time with regards to their value for money. So, we should be able to meet up to those expectations by making essential things like quality, transparency and so on a given. If we imbibe this culture in all aspects of business, we will see all round change in all industries in the country.

    What were your initial challenges?

     To me, settling for less is an attribute for followers, not winners. As a new comer, everyone said, “go easy, invest small” and so on, but the challenge I thought I’d face as a newcomer was market acceptance. Surprisingly, we were accepted more than anticipated due to the fact that there was a gap in that market and we made people know that business as usual is over. Architects, engineers and many other labourers knew that Sujimoto would never put its name on anything ordinary; this mindset changed the quality of expectations, which increased the level of delivery. We, however, had to contend with the low level of skilled labour at our disposal, and eventually had to train the optimistic few and relieve the lazy. We couldn’t afford any room for error. The significance of expertise and proper training are undervalued in Nigeria and as a result, finishing, quality and attention to detail are compromised. After assessing all these things, amongst others, we made it a point to only work with the best; from human resources to technical resources. It obviously demands a lot of dedicated investments to ensure quality but I say it is more expensive to compromise on quality.

    What are your upcoming plans with regards to luxury properties?

     We are currently in the process of unveiling our latest project called Lorenzo, bringing a redefinition in high value residential structures, exclusivity and hospitality. Very few properties would be comparable to the Lorenzo in terms of architecture, finishing and features. It is fully automated and each apartment has a double kitchen, two maids’ room and three parking spots. The interior architect is renowned for building private villas for ultra-wealthy Sheikhs in Dubai. The property comprises 2, 3 & 4 bedroom apartments and a fascinating addition of penthouses with private swimming pools on the 25th floor. With this property, we will cater to the vital few home-owners and investors looking for properties that suit their lifestyle and aim to yield high returns. Off-plan buyers would be lucky to buy into this at this point as it is in very high demand and selling out fast even before our unveiling. The gain they stand to enjoy is as high as 40% when they place it back in the market.

     You speak passionately about Nigeria’s potential, despite its current economic climates. If you had to sell investing in Nigeria to your foreign counterparts, what are some of those things you’d like them to know about Nigeria?

    Nigeria is like a gold mine that is yet to be discovered. The real estate opportunities in Nigeria have not met five percent of its potential. The real estate industry is catching up with foreign markets and we can see today that the demand for top quality housing is growing by the day. Only the brave few would enjoy this opportunity, and these few are those who take the driver seat today. Over the years, Nigerians have invested millions of dollars buying properties abroad, but in recent times, we can see a shift in the market. Consumers are growing more and more confident in the Nigerian real estate sector, particularly the high-end properties. For any investor, ROI is the key thing. When you go to London or NYC, some properties yield between 3 -4 % in rental income, but with our properties you’ll get a minimum of 8-12% on rental returns and also an annual 12-15% return on equity. This gives you an aggregate of about 22%. If you ask me, this needs no convincing.

    Do you feel pressured by all the press coverage and spotlight your business is currently under?

    The Nigerian media has increased their value for information and they have increased their demographics to only showcase the best. We have no pressure. For a young company like us trying to make an impact in an industry dominated by older firms, it is expected and can be classified as brave and newsworthy. It is not surprising to be watched closely by the public and most importantly, the inspiration we give to young and upcoming entrepreneurs. We channel this kind of attention towards showcasing our skills and being more socially responsible. To be honest, there will always be critics, which is always welcome as far as it is constructive. We pay very few attention to what people have to say, we allow our work speak for us.

    No doubt you are also stylish. How would you describe your personal style?

    Dressing to impress is a standard. But one’s style is an introduction to who you are as a person. It’s not a function of the big names or if you choose to go with western designs or African designs; once well put together, it will definitely make one stand out. But any man/woman who can’t impress his crowd should not step out of his home.

    You are making history right now as a young business CEO, with no silver spoon upbringing and at a young age already a billionaire. What would you want the average youth who is reading this to know about making it in life, especially the business world?

    I had a choice, to either remain where I was or strive to achieve beyond my environment. It was tough but it was worth it; people, teachers, uncles never believed in me, so it took me a double effort to always prove myself. I tell young Nigerians, success is like a game of chess, and to be superior at this game, you must understand the rules and the first rule of success is determination. No one would increase your interest but yourself.  Nigeria is becoming more and more competitive. As a youth, you have to deny your environment from having an impact in your life or bringing you down. In a country like Nigeria where the opportunities surround us, we have no excuse to achieve more with less. If we were living in underdeveloped countries with less opportunities, I would understand the justification of these failures, but we live in a country where a man can turn 500,000 naira into a multi-billion dollar empire. This tells you that the capacity to become super successful is not beyond our reach. The process of self-development is never ending. Youths must continue to strive to be better today than they were yesterday. They should take hold of their destiny and start looking for opportunities surrounding them. Nigerians have been described as natural entrepreneurs. From the man selling on the streets to the man with a billion dollar company, we should be able to maximise the resources around us efficiently and effectively. I keep making reference to Aliko Dangote because that is a man worthy of emulating by anyone going into business. He was able to defy the norm and create wealth. Distractions and influence from the wrong people are some of the main reasons for failure; I never keep friends who would bring me down.

    My only friends are those who have specific impacts in my life, others are acquaintances.

    What drives you?

    Success is good, but making an impact is sustainable; when I build and people look at it with the ‘WOW’ effect is what motivates me. I was somewhere and a lady was talking about my apartments, the intensity and genuine passion in her voice almost made me cry, and at the same time made me proud of our hard work.