Developing, Defining and Projecting Your Personal Brand

The world is a stage, humans are all actors- Shakespeare

What is your personal brand? Why do you have to identify it?


Your brand positions you clearly in the minds of others and increase your perceived value. It distinguishes you from the herd.

Another important thing about your brand is that it extends to products/services/platforms that emanates from you. Your brand also enables you to make emotional connections and develop loyalty to people who have similar values to your brand or those who just admire it.

Your name, product or even your look could create a remembrance of your brand, but each in itself is not your brand. The purpose of branding yourself or identifying and nurturing your personal brand is to achieve preference or an edge amongst the roaring herd or looming crowd.

Your brand is your distinct identity in the mind of the people who know you or have heard of you. Branding yourself is thus the process of defining, enhancing and consistently expressing your entity identity to your audience.

We all have an audience: it could start from your spouse, family, colleagues, boss, customers or even the general populace. We are social creatures and we relate with other humans who watch us and who we watch too.

In defining your personal brand, its important you discover your 1. values: the ideals you hold clearly, that define your personality. 2. your mission in life: what you feel or know you have been called or assigned to do here on earth by mother nature. 3. Your vision; your ideal picture of the future you see.

After you must have identified the above, to consistently maintain and express this personal brand of yours in order to get any great currency or value thereof: you need to demonstrate:
i. Sincerity: an honest value in connecting with your identified personal brand. It has to be honest and wholesome. For example; if you have identified yourself as a technical solution expert then all tasks given to you related to such should be done perfectly or at least communicated to your customer clearly in an otherwise case.
ii. Sophistication: Why do you identify yourself as a brand? To stand out from the roaring crowd. So you dont want to be different from the crowd in a lesser way, that won't command a high value, you have got to have a brand that makes a connotation to some charm and upper class.
iii. Excitement: The world is tough and brutal enough; so no one needs more pain and sorrow. So when projecting your brand it must come with some daring, spirited, imaginative power.
iv. Competence: This looks more like the first point on honesty; but we need to emphasize that whatever field of endeavour or character you have chosen to be identified with, you have got to be competent in it.

Reliable, Intelligent and successful are the buzzwords here. Lets take an example in our world: when you hear Oprah Winfrey you think media, Michael Jackson: music, Steve Jobs: Technology, Business etc. This people have so identified and defiened their brand and gotten to the zenith of their field that the world can't forget them even long after they are gone.

An individual like Richard Branson who has an adventurous spirit, a risk taker and fun loving individual with a business mind has such projected his personality and brand and created a business empire that embodies his personal brand; from his music business to the Virgin airline and now trying to take humans to the galaxy. Richard has so defined his brand and projected it and made a commercial success of it.

Taking it further, your brand identity needs to have an output or what i call translations such as a name to call you, a logo to represent your product, service, platfrom or company. This brand identity have to be:i. simple to pronounce.ii. memorable.iii. give an hint of the benefit to be experienced.iv. create an expectation for the experience.v. create an emotional appeal for the brand. vi. extendable.

In the case of your product, service or organisation. Your logo is a visual representation of the organisation's DNA and aspiration. Visibility is more obvious than ability. Awareness is the first point of call in building brand equity.
Brand equity is the overall value both tangible and intangible of a brand. The stages of developing brand equity are: Awareness of the brand, Quality product/service/platform, Association and brand loyalty.


Studies have proven that at least 10,000 hours of study, learning, education and practice is required to achieve the level of mastery associated with being world class in any field or career.

Getting the best when entering the marketplace.

You have spent years burning candles, sleepless nights reading, tedious lessons and assignments done. Project topics assigned and completed. Finally, you are about to hit the labour market.
However, cropping up within you is tension, questions such as; what is in the future for me? Will i get a good job? How long will i wait to get one? Would my employers be nice to me, etc?

Life is filled with different stages: conception, childhood, teenage, adults etc. A significant and most important entry to the adult stage especially for the educated is the passing out from the college/university into the working stage (the market place).

Every human being has talents, skills and potentials that are treated to acquire resources such as money etc. This resources comes in form of salaries, commissions, dividends, profits etc. Likewise the resources at one's disposal is equally used in procuring needed necessities of life such as shelter, transportation, feeding, entertainment and providing for our family, we in turn reward those involved in providing these needs.

It is thus normal for one setting out into the marketplace to be concerned for his lot. However, mere concern and worries do not bring food to the table nor lay the bed. As you lay your bed so you lie on it.

These steps below help in placing a person setting out into the marketplace to get the best out of it.

1. Identify your strengths: Yes you may have studied physiology in school but dont be fooled into thinking that is where your competitive advantage lies. Your true edge in the marketplace is your inner strenghts unique to you.

Are you an extrovert with great communication skills and a pleasant personality that attracts people to you: you do have a great skill for a communication role, sales role and the likes. If on the other hand, you are an introvert who likes to keep to himself, detail oriented and organized; you may be a great asset for a role that involves documenting, observation, accounting, auditing or organization.
The above examples are just a simplified example; however, the main point is that you identify your stregths and project such in the market place rather than relying solely on your paper qualifications.

2. Convert your strength to a product/service platform
As we have noted in the first point, after you have identified your stregth/passion unique to you. You need to covert it to a product/service platform.


Lets say for example you have a stregth/passion for cooking; could you convert that to a service such as producing food/snacks for people in your community and getting paid for it. Or maybe you could start by working for a restaurant to learn the processes of making money out of such passion/strength.

3. Market it
You have identified your strengths and then you have gone further to converting it to a product or a service platform or at least getting into a place where you learn to do that. The next thing is to make such product or service from your talent/skill known to the real market; those who need it and are willing and able to pay to get it.

This may include you sharing your service/product on the social media, talking about it to your peer group, social class, family alumni etc. The world must know what you offer. The value and reward earned from your strength, skills, product/service is equivalent to the numbers of people who patronise you and that is determined by those who are aware of it in the first place.


4. Learn to receive
It may seem an obvious fact that we should know how to receive for service/products offered but i can tell you from experience that this is where many are lacking. Despite prevailing misconception believe that there is abundance for you as much as you want and you will receive it. So learn to receive earnings, rewards for your efforts.

The process of receiving starts with:
i. Adequate pricing of your service; when in a learning atmosphere as an apprentice you might be modest in your pricing, but when you have finetuned your service, learn to price your product to ensure you are profitable and sustainable. If in an employee position, do not be afraid to ask a salary equivalent to the best offered in your industry.
ii. Open payment channels: As a graduate you should have a savings account where you save earnings and receive earnings of your service, and then a current account that allows payments such as cheques from corporate entities and even dividends to be able to be paid to your account.
Taking it further if as a business person; registering your business with the Corporate Affairs Commission and opening a corporate account is the ideal. This is the professional way that allows business dealings with reputable companies.

Diffusion: A catalyst for change

In chemistry, we learnt that diffusion is the movement of gases from a region of higher concentration to a region of lower concentration. What this means in simple terms is that gases move from a place where they are abundant to a place where they are few or non existent.

Another word to capture the essence of this article is a word in physics called resonance. Resonance is described as the lengthening effect of sound.
Bringing the above two definitions into a social context; materials, ideas, values, skills and resources that are predominant in an area need to move to other areas where they are not so abundant yet needed. This in economics is described as comparative advantage.This exodus helps to increase the appreciation and value of the relocated skills, resources, ideas etc.
The question then arises: as an individual, a corporate entity, a nation, How do i maximise my value in the general market. The following steps ensue.

1. Identify your uniqueness and those of others
What are your unique offering; talent, skill, resource that differentiates you from the other? Its called your selling point.
Every entity is unique, however, when there are abundant of an entity over the demand of such. It tends to lose some value. In economics price of a product falls when supply is higher than demand.
Tasks that can be done by a lot of people tend to get paid less than those which can be offered by a very minute few. A service such as cleaning a dirty house will be paid less because it can be done by a lot of people but a service such as an heart surgery will be rewarded astronomically higher because it requires a specialised skill and knowledge few people possess.
Its said that no man is an island and that two are better than one. Two becomes better than one when each party posesses a unique ability that is not so sufficient in the other party who also posesses another different ability which is also needed in the achievement of their set goal.
The world has 7 continents 197 countries having about 7 billion people. However, the pace of development and prosperity enjoyed by the different countries differ, this is as a result of the combination and organization of various resources to create wealth.
Imperialism is an action that involves a country extending its power by the acquisition of territories. Such a country as so identify and developed her uniqueness that it can influence and colonize others, so also it applies to a corporate entity developing her market share or an individual offering her skills to the marketplace.

2. Exploit the power of connectivity
In this age of globalization. Power of a country or corporate entity is measured by her degree of connectivity to the outside world. A country's prosperity is judged by her Gross Domestic product but recently added as a yardstick is megabits per capita.

The rate of information dissemination within population to and from decision makers is critical. Jobs, knowledge use and hence economic growth will gravitate to those societies that are the most connected, with the most networks and the broadest amount of bandwidth-because these countries will find it easiest to amass, deploy and share knowledge in order to design, invent, manufacture, sell, provide services, communicate, educate and entertain.
Bandwidth, railroads and seaports are the backbone of commerce in countries, continents and world entirely.
Klaus Schwab of the Davos World Economic Forum once observed. "We have moved from a world where the big eats the small to a world where the fast eats the slow. Fast in terms of transmission of ideas from laboratory or board room to factory and then to the consumers, fast in terms of communication of new insights, fast in replication of new ideas etc

3. Shed unnecessary weight
To move faster its expedient that excessive and unnecessary weight should be shed. Weight such as old beliefs and practices that have lost their relevance in this age, unnecessary and unneeded items that takes up space and resources.

4. Embrace change swiftly
Its said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing all the time and expecting different results. Solving new problems require exploring new knowledge.
To experience development its necessary to embrace change. Individuals who are open to new cultures, ideas etc rapidly feed their imagination hence produce quality thoughts and ideas that leads to innovative products, service delivery or new ways of life.

5. Be open
The more open you are, the more integrated you are into the world's network of ideas, markets, technologies and management innovations. This needed absorption of new ideas is facilitated by your ability to network habitually. You cant be successful in whatever you do unless you have lots of allies. You have got to be able to compete on a global basis.
Countries such as the United States who keep their economy open to either the best brains in the world or the best technologies in the world multiply their economic growth.
This needed absorption of new ideas is facilitated by your ability to network habitually. That job, customer, contract you are seeking is being sought by other individuals with deiffering strengths and experiences from yours. Except you have friends or allies who can share experiences learnt with you, you will be limited to your own knowledge and experience.
Your networth is a sum total of your network.

6. Develop your personal brand
To attract quality network it is essential that you develop a personal brand that is attractive and connnotes some form of success. People are attracted to people or companies who have something they admire.
It may be your unique way of providing services; a specific talent or skill that you have developed and refined, or just your pleasant and knowledgeable personality. Whatever it is; develop your brand; be known for something good and interesting and you will in turn attract pleasant networks.

7. Reach out
Reaching out entails moving outside of your closet. The value of your idea or services and rewards earned thereof increases as the number of people it reaches.
As common as social networks platform are; many still do not maximise their potentials. Incredible deals and relationships could be secured on this platforms but it takes a careful and pragmatic approach, you will need to be selective too.
Communicate your professionalism or services in a fun filled format. Another great way of reaching out is travelling. It helps in learning new things, meeting new people. Attending social meetings such as Alumni meetings etc also help in expanding your networks.
As you strive to expand, however; never try to manipulate people or present a different image of yourself, be real and confident with who you are, do not seek to be heard alone but listen to others too, remember to do unto others what you would like them do to you. So give what you want; be it contacts or resources.

Redirection of Labour: Key to our National Development

"seeth a man dilligent in his work he shall stand before kings and not ordinary men".
"The labour of the fools wearieth them for they know not how to get to the city".
"From he that hath not even that which he has will be taken and given to him that hath".

The three quotes above are taken from the Holy Bible. Human beings trade their talents, skills and expertise which are human resources to acquire material resources such as money, land etc

it is a supposedly obvious fact that if a man applies his energy to a productive task it will pave way for his prosperity. However, also obvious is that a large percentage of the human populace especially in developing countries such as Nigeria experiences abject poverty even as workers either as self employed (artisans, craftsmen, businesspersons, traders, clergy etc).

The question then arises why the reason for poverty if a human being works. In the second quote of this article it is said that 'the labour of the fool wearieth him for he knows not how to get to the city'. The quote acknowledges that the fool is labouring but describes the reason for his weariness; unproductivity, fruitlessness has being unable to go to the city. The city here refers to the civilized setting, the urbane marketplace where the end products of his work are highly priced.

So until the fool has devised a means to take his product/services well packaged for the use in the city, he will be at the mercy of trading his raw materials at low price to the one who has found a way to get his produces to the city. Let's highlight once again what the city is here: it refers to the marketplace that buys the final product. for example; lets say a labourer knows how to dig wells but knows not how to create a construction company that digs bore holes to the water packaging companies or a farmer who plants oranges in his farm in the village who then sells his oranges to a trader who transports the oranges to the city, say Lagos and sells it to a Orange juice processing company which then process and bottles the orange juice for the populace who buys them at shopping malls, supermarkets, hotels and bars where they are sold at high prices.

In the above story, the labourer who exhausts himself physically wears him self out unlike his wiser counterpart who has a large farm with a mechanized process; a processing plant where his farm produce are processed into finished product and equally has a marketing system to sell his finished product to the masses, and gets maximal value from her efforts.

The above story does not seek to look down on any form of labour but to encourage the populace to seek out maximal value for their efforts. It has also been said that to be wealthy, you need the efforts of other peoples, their time, their money/resources, that explains why an entrepreneur (the class to which most wealthy people belong) employs other people to use their time, efforts, skills and still uses their resources such as loans from the bank, communal land etc. for his productive ventures while he pays them stipends. This may be classified as unjust, but the truth is that he chose to carry the higher load of paying their bills while he knows how to get the collective efforts of all to the city: the market.

In the Nigerian setting, the Government is the largest employer of labour sadly and the largest contractor, because adequate systems to promote entrepreneurship and business growth has not been set up. Taking a look at the Nigerian street, you find a lot of idle people loitering the streets going nowhere actually, military and para military officials exploiting and harassing road users especially drivers who are seeking for a means to earn a living.

It therefore becomes imperative to call for a great redirection of labour; the masses have to be awakened to acquire a skill that has commercial value and learn to take it to the market. A look at the richest people and companies in the world shows the meaning of this call.

Apple company sells apple products (ipad, iphones etc) and takes it to the market where it is highly priced and bought. Facebook and Google sells advert spaces on their website which is exhaustively consumed by the marketplace. The Richest musicians etc Dr Dre, Jay Z, Beyonce etc brings their musical talent and packages it to a product: Compact Disc and then put it to the market such as iTunes where its sold. Nike sells fashion items and franchise to the market.
So you my reader! What are you bringing to the market?

Ópportunities available to Nigerian economy as oil price clashes

#IYDOando
What are the opportunities that exist for the Nigerian economy following the crash in oil prices?

Never let a good crisis go to waste- Winston Churchill

The GDP in Nigeria recently experienced a decline of 0.5 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2017. Crude petroleum and natural gas, our main export constitutes only about 11percent of total GDP in first quarter of year 2017. Oil exporting countries of the developing world depend massively on revenue frrom oil for their foreign exchange earnings and for the government budget, in most cases reaching 90% or above.

Since the early 1970's oil has become the major factor of Nigeria's economy, being the most important source of our foriegn exchange and the most attractive sector for international investment opportunities in the 1980's and 1990's, earnings from this investments have been used by the governm
ent in carrying out various developmental projects in the country.
This important role the oil sector has played has led to a great reliance by
 the government on the oil sector.The oil boom of the 1970s distracted the government from the huge opportunities in the agricultural sector; the major source of revenue for government in the early fifties and sixties, as well as the industrial manufacturing to a sole dependence on crude oil. in the year 2000 oil and gas exports accounted for more than 98% of export earnings and about 83% of federal government revenue. 
  However, the sector has not been without attendant challenges, the problems bedeviling the petroleum sector are the disruption to oil operations in Niger Delta and the lower crude oil prices globally. also the misappropriation of revenues acccruing from the oil sector and the poor state of infrastructure in the industry such as the refineries not performing maximally or not even performing at all has led many to judge the positive impact of the oil sector on the economy has very low or even as negative.
The oil sector in Nigeria is also facing a global fall in oil prices due to increasing supply over demand, The United States which used to be our largest customer now exports oil to our markets in Europe and Asia. These should not be seen as a non productive and total crisis but as an opportunity for a great economy revitalization with the below options:
1. The Nigerian economy led by the government must see the falling oil prices globally has a call to strengthen her oil and gas infrastructure as the world economy will no longer condone delays in oil supplies with the presence of more competitors and less demand. the oil and gas sector has positive impact on other sectors such as the cosmetics, plastic, hardware for ICT sector etc as it produces the raw material for production.
2. Investments should also be strengthened in the agricultural sector which Nigeria has great advantage of arable land, good weather and available working population. Food is a basic need and agricultural products will earn the country more foreign exchange. Agriculture was the mainstay of the economy in the fifities and sixties. 
GDP from Agriculture in Nigeria in third quarter of 2016 was 5035069.06 NGN Million. Nigeria received highest GDP 3385600.83 from Agriculture  in Africa at first quarter of 2017 followed by Tanzania 2929358.00 , South Africa stood at number 4  with 68830.07. source:tradingeconomics.com
3. The industrial sector should be greatly revolutionised with support for ailing industries in various sectors such as  textiles etc.  Agriculture provides cotton, the basic raw material for the textile industry. The non development of the Agriculture industry adversely affects the textile industry.
The Nigerian Textile industry is the third largest in Africa, after Egypt and South Africa. Nigerians are very fashion conscious people. At a record high of over 140 companies, Nigeria witnessed a boom in the textile manufacturing industries in the 1960s to 1970s with companies such as Kaduna Textiles, Texlon Nigeria Limited, amongst others employing about a million people, contributing about 15% of the manufacturing sector earnings to the GDP of the Nigerian economy and accounted for over 60% of the textile industry capacity in West Africa.  
4. The cosmetics production sector (hydrocarbons; by product of oil and gas is its raw materials), is equally important and should be strengtened by the government. Nigerians are very conscious of their looks and are great buyers of these products. 
The beauty and personal care sales were estimated to be worth 1,57Bn Euro in 2012, up by 12% over 2011, and are estimated to reach 2,5Bn Euro in 2017 according to Euro-monitor.  with such estimated sales, Nigeria is considered as the African rising star for the beauty market.
5. The pharmaceuticals sector an important component of the health sector should be equally strengtened, this sector also needs the oil and gas sector to power her operations and produce the required packaging materials. Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa and one of the fastest growing economies in Africa, coupled with the high incidence of diseases makes the country a vibrant pharmaceutical market. 
 Health is wealth, the importance of an healthy population can not be over emphasised.
The above stated five options provide the opportunities availed the Nigerian economy despite the crash in oil prices.

Oluseye Oyeniyi wrote in from Lagos. Email:seyeoyeniyi@gmail.com, Mobile no: 09081130218,

SUJIMOTO:35 Year old Ilesha Indigene Setting Pace in Luxury Real Estate

His name is Sijibomi Ogundele, CEO Sujimoto Construction, Real estate guru with offices and structures in choice locatios of the world..France, Dubai etc

Read this inspiring interview with Poised Corp magazine

Considering your humble beginning, how did you learn to be an Entrepreneur?

Growing up on the streets of Agege, the fear of poverty was my greatest motivation. I remembered that out of the about 47 houses on our street, only 2 people owned a power generator. This taught me a great lesson that for wealth to be generated, my environment and the people I surround myself with, need to change. At the earlier age of 9, I started visiting Ikoyi with the inspiration that someday, I would also have an opportunity to live here. Today, that dream has become a reality.

I consider myself fortunate to have won the ovarian lottery by having a mother like mine, a woman who at the age of nine was sent to Cameroon as a sales girl. But today, against all odds, she is one of the biggest distributors for the Nestle Nigeria Limited. She inspired me to become the individual I am today. She taught me the importance of having great vision and to work persistently towards making my dreams a reality.

I read a lot of books. My first introduction to entrepreneurship was when I read ‘Think and Grow Rich’ by Napoleon Hill. 10 years in any University would never have given me what I learnt in 10 days. This changed my life forever. I understood two things; competitive advantage, and putting customers first. These principles are the foundations of my success. 

My first introduction to entrepreneurship was at the age of eight or nine years old. I bought an ‘Okada’ (Commercial Motorcycle), and in less than three years, I had six Okadas. Even though I couldn’t continue with the business because my father stopped it, the experience gave me my first taste of business and entrepreneurship and I have not been able to stop since then.

Tell us about your journey into the Luxury Real Estate Sector?

I have been doing real estate since 1998 when I lived in South of France as a common Agent with no license. Back then, I brokered a lot of deals in Project Management and Financing. But my first major break was in 2011, when I bought an apartment in Paris and decided to remodel it. My friends thought I was crazy and lavish. But after I was done renovating, I sold it in less than two months to a friend from Qatar for double the price. The investment flip in such short time re-ignited my interest in real estate and changed my career path forever.

Before moving back to Nigeria, I visited my aunty who bought a house in Banana Island. After paying so much for the house, I still had to help her change her kitchen, doors, tiles etc.  It was very tiring and frustrating considering one would expect a house of that magnitude in terms of price to come with quality accessories and interiors.  

So, when I decided to move back to Nigeria in 2014, I had the vision to liberate the Nigerian luxury real-estate market, and bring true value to customers who are not only tired of architectural mediocrity, but also frustrated by value depreciation.

What is your company coming doing differently to redefine the luxury Real Estate industry in Nigeria?

I have a simple philosophy; create sugar, and ants will come.

I came into the luxury real estate industry at a time when Nigerians were beginning to demand quality and value for their money. They have been at the mercy of mediocre developers who have refused to raise the bar in terms of quality but demanded ridiculous prices because they thought the customer didn’t know better.  

The market was littered with substandard developments, going for exorbitant prices.  All I did was to create sugar – offer a world-class development, superb finishing with international standard, at an affordable pricing and the game changed, because quality will always supersede price.

Do you know that it takes just 13 hours to build a Toyota, but 6 months of non-stop dedication to build a Rolls-Royce? Have you ever wondered why? Unlike the Toyota, which is mass-produced, the Rolls Royce is hand-built to perfection with every stitch telling a unique story. Exotic woods, the best among equals from Europe, are sculpted into automobile showpieces. From personalised hues to lavish interiors and eye-catching motifs, the only limitation to a Rolls-Royce is your imagination.

What’s the difference? Value!We are the Rolls-Royce of luxury real estate in Nigeria.

What would you say is your motivation for doing business in Nigeria despite the current economic meltdown?

Let’s establish a foundation here, value is the main motivation.

Nobody likes anybody they don’t get value from. If you are my brother and you are not adding value to me, I am not ready to do business with you.  It is simple. I have sold crap and luxury and I can tell from experience that it is easier to sell luxury than crap. When you sell luxury, you sell peace of mind and you can afford to go to bed at night knowing that your clients will be fine for years to come. However, when you sell crap, you are always on the run, because you cannot tell when that client will come calling for your head.

Even though I grew up in Oke-arin and Agege, I have travelled to over 40 countries and I have had the privilege of staying in the best hotels and have seen the best architectural structures. This exposure has consciously elevated my standards and expectations in life. This is why when I go anywhere and things are not done up to highest standard, I can’t resist voicing my discontent.

I have always emphasised that luxury is not expensive and quality knows no race. Most Nigerian Developers lack the currency of patience. Their quest for immediate gratification supersedes the need for value creation. However, I am optimistic that we are gradually shifting from this degrading mind-set and embracing true value creation.

How did you come about the name SUJIMOTO?

Sujimoto, it is more than a company’s name. It is a philosophy; a system of belief that radically opposes mediocrity and impossibility by delivering beyond and above expectations. All my corporate life, I have always said 1 + 1 should equal 11, not 2. I termed this phrase ‘Motomatics’ which is quite different from mathematics, because it shares same meaning with Sujimoto.

Let me dispel the myth behind the name Sujimoto. Fate took me from Oke-Arin to Yokohama, where I met Dr. Sujimoto Koga, a philosopher who transformed my life and thinking. He became my mentor and the vital lessons learnt from this life-changing mentorship gave birth to my company. After Dr Sujimoto’s death, out of adoration and respect, I named all my companies Sujimoto, as a constant reminder of the need for diligence, and making the impossible possible.

Tell us about Lorenzo By Sujimoto and other Projects?

Lorenzo would be the tallest residential building in Lagos and the first fully automated building in Africa. We are hoping to start the project this year and hopefully would become one of the best projects in sub-Saharan Africa. In the meantime, we are developing a small project in the Banana Island area of Lagos. It is a very exclusive project, where we shall redefine the true meaning of Town Housing. By the time we finish the project, no Town House in West Africa would be able to compete with it.

We are also looking into the hospitality industry - hotels to be precise. We want to develop a local hotel with a western feel, where you might not need to visit ‘Four Season’ before you can experience true luxury, at a very affordable price.

What is your assessment of the real estate sector in Nigeria and how do you think the sector can improve to compete on a global level?

 In the last quarter of 2015, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) predicted that the Real Estate sector’s value would rise from $9.16billion to $13.65 billion in 2016. It reported that the sector is growing at a rate of 8.7%, making it the 6th largest in the economy.

We cannot hide from the fact that we are going through one of the most difficult periods in the history of this country. But then, I believe we can learn a lot from the transformation of Dubai, from a Land of Sands and Camels to a City of Marble and Towers. When the Real Estate and Investment Boom of Dubai started in the late 90s, savvy investors jumped in on the opportunities and saw an intrinsic value in a fast growing city. Today, this desert village has grown exponentially into a metropolis equipped with some of the most exotic man-made structures the world has to offer. Investors looked beyond oil and focused on Real Estate, because they realised that Real Estate is the new oil. We need to develop the real estate sector and move from the ‘quick fix - quick gain’ syndrome, which will continue to leave us in the backwaters of world-class real estate development.

Today’s economy belongs to only two types of people; people who understand that customer is King and people who have the great capacity to deliver great value at an affordable price, without compromising on quality.

What’s your advice to young Entrepreneurs hoping to do business in Nigeria?

Doing business in Nigeria takes guts and lots of courage. But one of the biggest problems in our generation is that people are quick to forget. History has, however, reminded us that the people who secured the independent destiny of this country were in their late 20s and late 30s, visionaries like Awo, Azikwe, Tafawa Balewa etc.

Sadly, our generation has stopped dreaming. Our quest for immediate gratification prevents us from value creation. We have become very impatient and quick to lay blame; blame society, blame government and blame friends. If MKO Abiola were to wait for government, he wouldn’t have sold coal to support his education, which later made him one of the richest men in the history of our nation. People must grab the bull by the horns. Be a man of your word, and let it be your bond. Think long-term, put the customer first, and whatever do, do it well, or do not do it at all. Do not allow anyone, tell you what you can or can’t do. If you can dream it, you can achieve it.

The Lorenzo can be likened to The Dorchester Hotel, even though it is an apartment property. We have studied the competition in all other projects, and we have identified more than 11 different facilities and features that the Lorenzo has, which others do not. It is the only project today in Nigeria that is promising investors 100% Returns on Investment. Nothing like this has been done anywhere else in Africa. Right now, we are finalising the financial aspect, which we are hoping to conclude before the end of next month. Hopefully, we’ll move to site by the end of April.