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“I want the $100,000 initial deposit I made back.”

 

“A lot of people are saying this dream is impossible, and you are too overzealous.”

 

“No one has achieved such yet, especially not in Nigeria!” Her voice still echoes in my head.

 

And, I remember responding with, “Aunt, kindly exercise patience; the tenth floor at $1.5M is a great deal.”

 

She had no idea that I had sold her a $4 million property for $1.5 million.

 

 

She continues, “In my 27 years of professional expertise, I don’t believe this dream is achievable!”

 

These are statements and concerns I received from the chairman of a major insurance company that attended our 5th-anniversary celebration in 2019. Afterwards, she decided to invest in Lucrezia’s off-plan before the commencement of the LucreziaBySujimoto’s foundation. However, she cancelled the transaction and requested a refund. Thankfully, the money was still intact, and I refunded her immediately.

 

Just recently, she visited the mock apartment and was flabbergasted by the incredible work and speed we’ve achieved on the Lucrezia project. As one of our staff continued to negotiate with her over the price this time, she refused him, saying, “SUJI handed me this property for $1.5 million a few years ago before its foundation started, why are you now telling me to pay three times the price?”

 

I said to myself, “This is what happens when a pessimistic investor refuses to trust in the vision of tenacious entrepreneurs!”

 

Unfortunately, she can’t afford it now, as the final unit we have is priced between $2.5 million and $4 million.

 

 

The best time to invest in real estate is to find a reliable developer with a wealth of experience and integrity. Then buy into his vision, now!

 

 

I remember vividly when we started Lucrezia —nobody believed us. The only person who believed in our dream and was more than happy to invest in it was the Managing Director of Providus Bank. A visionary leader who, despite all obstacles, sat at our side at every meeting, fighting for us and ensuring that everything we needed to complete the project was supplied.

 

Yes! Nobody told us it wouldn’t be easy.

 

Nobody told us containers would spend months in port or foresaw the price of clearing a container, spiking from N4M to N9M.

 

Nobody warned us of the drastic exchange of the naira to the dollar, from N360 to today’s rate of N750, giving us a deficit of over N5B.

 

Nobody told us COVID-19 would impact the global economy, which affected this project and shot up our costs by over 200%. Nobody reminded us of all these.

 

 

But these are the lessons we learn as energetic and uncommon entrepreneurs, as when we commit to a project, we ensure its successful execution against all odds.

 

This is one of our company’s trade secrets. We believe in our goals of reinventing luxury living, which is a true motivation for putting our perpetual effort into developing what is now worth more than N50 billion.

 

Building a duplex is different from building a skyscraper; there are fundamental, technical, but essentially important details you need to know to build a skyscraper.

 

That’s why all our technical and structural engineers are people with successful experience in the erection of skyscrapers across the globe. To reinforce our zero tolerance for mediocrity, we hired an Italian piling master with 28 years of experience to oversee the work of Nigeria’s proclaimed best-piling company, as we were determined to establish a foundation of unwavering strength.

 

A total of 17,500 cubic meters of concrete was used to create one of the biggest piles and pile caps in the world, which has a 900 mm pile diameter and goes 45 meters deep with over 140 piles, making Lucrezia’s foundation one of the most formidable foundations ever, one to endure a century and beyond.

 

We raised the building after the pilling from the ground floor to the 15th floor in 4 months, making it the fastest construction of a high-rise building in Nigeria with the use of bonded post-tensioning slabs, which are the only standards in Dubai for the construction of high-rise buildings, making Sujimoto the first indigenous company to use such technology.

 

 

To ensure that the facade installations are of the highest quality, we went above and beyond by recruiting the expertise of specialists and companies with proven track records in the fabrication of facades costing more than 1.5 billion naira.

 

Aside from the spectacular features—the IMAX cinema, the lobby, the virtual golf, a 345 square meter temperature-controlled pool, including a Jacuzzi and kids’ pool, and a spa— A special place the residents and other special members of society can visit to indulge in the ultimate relaxation experience is Lucrezia. We have one of the finest salons for the convenience and comfort of our residents, as well as a creche to nurture future kings and queens. Also, to create ample space for car parking, we raised the ground floor higher to enable double parking racks.

 

We are hopeful and optimistic LucreziaBySujimoto will be completed by June 2023, and we’d be gazing up at Banana Island’s tallest building. A 15-story ultra-luxury building with magnificent maisonettes and two of Africa’s best penthouses wrapped in a rare façade material known as glass-reinforced concrete.

 

The $52 million architectural masterpiece towers 65 meters above the ground, with a combined livable space of 18,000 square meters reserved for the vital few and an incredible, mechanically powered, centralized AC system that would outperform any other company in Nigeria.

 

Our mockup flats are designed to exude and emanate the luxury of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai and the Shard in London. Zaha Hadid Porcelanosa, one of the best Noble prize architects in the world and the producer of the rarest sanitary wares by Porcelanosa, immensely contributed to this project, making us the only developer in Africa with such a level of rarity and class as it only available at 5-star hotels in Dubai and London.

 

With the proper quality control checks at every level, we made sure that all T’s were crossed and all I’s were dotted, ensuring thorough and rigorous quality control of every material, from the sand to the chandeliers, doors, sanitary wares, and others. Without a doubt, the project has been founded on resilience and determination. one of the most complex but successful projects ever, as everyone that worked on the project paid excessive attention to details.

 

As we near the end of this record-breaking project, we want to convey our deepest gratitude to Providus Bank for helping us develop one of the greatest condominiums in the African real estate market. And also, to our incredible staff, both local and international, which numbered over 300 people working day and night for the past 792 days to complete one of Africa’s most iconic projects

 

LucreziaBySujimoto’s penthouse, unquestionably the best penthouse in Africa, with a private golf garden, private elevator, private pool, and private gym, is still available to any audacious and daring individual. We also have one unit of the maisonette available for sale at a reasonable price.

 

You can contact the general managing director directly for further information or call 0809 124 3555.

 

Sijibomi Ogundele is the Managing Director of Sujimoto Group, the Czar of luxury real estate development, and the mastermind developer behind the infamous Giuliano. Our other audacious projects, such as the grandiose Sujimoto Twin Towers, the tallest twin towers in Africa, the regal Queen Amina by Sujimoto, a monument to royal affluence, and the magnificent LeonardoBySujimoto, Africa’s most exclusive waterfront high-rise development, have etched an indelible imprint on Nigeria’s skylines, a testament to their unrivalled mastery of luxury.

 

Furthermore, Sujimoto is dedicated to redefining luxury living with transformative experiences through intricately designed architecture and also searching globally for the world’s most renowned thought leaders in architecture, art, hospitality, and innovation.

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Business

AARE ADETOLA EMMANUELKING ADVOCATES FOR CONSOLIDATION BEFORE TRANSFORMATION AS LAGOS REDAN CHAIRMANSHIP ASPIRANT PAID COURTESY VISIT 

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Aare Adetola Emmanuel-King, The Executive Chairman Adron Homes, advocates for Consolidation first before Transformation as he declares his support for Dr Segun Oshundairo, The Aspiring REDAN Chairman For Lagos Chapter(Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria) 

 

He stated his full fledged support during an exclusive interview with the REDAN Chairman Aspirant, Dr Segun Oshundairo, the CEO of Arcview Investment Limited. During the Aspirant’s visit, Aare Adetola admonished him on steps to take to ensure that his tenure birth policies that would revolutionize the Real Estate Industry. He urged the Aspirant to embark on Intense Media publicity and collaborative advocacy efforts to influence government policies and decisions affecting the Real Estate Industry.

 

During this Meeting, The Aspirant talked about his Manifesto which he would implement once he emerges the Chairman. He declared the following Intentions:

– Create a Developers Mortgage Plan. With this, he would be collaborating with the government to create a plan that would ensure that developers can buy affordable estate from the government which would facilitate their ability to create reasonable and affordable houses for the masses.

– Establish an Advisory Board for REDAN. He stated that he would create an Advisory Committee that would consist of 7 stakeholders to advise and train members of the group every quarter on the right policies and procedures to implement.

– Open up lands in rural Areas and convert them to Mega cities. He revealed his intention to collaborate with the government in order to open up lands in Ofada, Papalantoro and environs as well as create affordable real estate in such areas.

– Rebrand and Publicize REDAN: The Aspirant stated that under his tenure, REDAN would have a new look, which would include a new logo, better policies as well as increased visibility .

 

Aare Adetola EmmanuelKing, In addition to advising the Aspiring Chairman on Strategic Media Publicity for REDAN, also implored him to pay attention to increasing the number of members in the group as well as present comprehensive strategies poised to shape the future landscape of real estate in the country.

 

He Admonished and stated that “There can’t be a greater Lagos without REDAN” He further advised the Aspirant on the need for a Universal market price of Landed Properties for Real Estate Developers in Lagos State when purchasing from the government. Also, this would foster and aid the creation of affordable housing for the good people of Lagos State and Nigerians at large.

 

The interview session concluded on a positive note in which Dr Segun Oshundairo expressed his enthusiasm and appreciation for the collaboration between REDAN and the CEO of Adron Homes. The Interview Session laid the foundation for future partnership opportunities aimed at driving positive change within the real estate industry. Dr Segun reiterated that once elected, he would set up a board of trustees that would consist of veterans and real estate pillars to serve as an advisory board for the pressure group.

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Announcing the 2024 GTCO Food and Drink Festival… A Celebration of Authentic Flavours

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[Lagos, Nigeria – March 20, 2024] – The countdown has begun to the 7th edition of the most anticipated culinary festival in Africa and Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc (GTCO) is excited to announce dates for the 2024 GTCO Food and Drink Festival, set to take place from Friday, April 26th to Sunday, April 28th, at GTCentre, Plot 1 Water Corporation Drive, Oniru, Victoria Island, Lagos. The GTCO Food and Drink Festival is widely recognised as the continent’s biggest food and drink festival, bringing together millions of food lovers and entrepreneurs to celebrate the rich and diverse culinary heritage of Africa with a vibrant display of flavours, aromas, and cultures. Over the three-day period, attendees can look forward to an array of culinary delights, from traditional African dishes to innovative fusion cuisines from other parts of the world.

 

The festival will also feature live cooking demonstrations, tasting sessions, along with hundreds of food retailers showcasing a diverse range of mouth-watering offerings. Commenting on the 2024 GTCO Food and Drink Festival, the Group Chief Executive Officer of Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc, Segun Agbaje, said: “We are delighted to bring to our customers, exhibitors, and food lovers from across Africa and beyond, another edition of an event that is a celebration of not just food, but of the rich tapestry of cultures and traditions that make African cuisine so unique. Our vision for curating this consumer-focused event is unchanging, particularly in light of the pressures that individuals and businesses are facing at this time. We hope to consistently create memorable moments for everyone, whilst providing a free, vibrant, and commercially viable platform for small food businesses in Nigeria to grow and thrive.” In addition to its culinary offerings, the GTCO Food and Drink Festival is renowned for its family-friendly atmosphere. This year, organisers have curated an extensive lineup of activities for children, ensuring that the festival is an unforgettable experience for the whole family. A specially designed play area will keep the little ones entertained with games, interactive exhibits, and more. As a new and exciting feature, the fair will introduce a children’s baking class, providing young aspiring chefs with a wonderful opportunity to discover the joys of baking, while also fostering creativity and confidence in the kitchen. From decorating cupcakes to crafting their own signature treats, children will unleash their culinary genius and develop valuable cooking skills in a fun and supportive environment.GTCO is a leading financial services group with banking operations in Nigeria, West Africa, East Africa, and the United Kingdom alongside new businesses in Payment, Funds Management, and Pension Fund Administration. The Group operates a diversified, Proudly African franchise and is renowned for its innovative approach to customer service and stakeholder engagement, which has endeared the brand to millions of people across Africa and beyond.

 

Its leadership in the banking industry and efforts at empowering people and communities has earned it many prestigious awards over the years. In 2023, GTCO’s Guaranty Trust Bank was recognized as Nigeria’s Best Bank and Best Bank in CSR at the Euromoney Awards for Excellence, Best Banking Group in Nigeria by World Finance, and Best Bank in Nigeria by Global Finance. Guaranty Trust Bank also featured in the Top 1000 Banks in the World and Top 100 Banks in Africa rankings by The Banker. Mark your calendars and prepare your taste buds as we come together in celebration of authentic flavours at the 2024 Food and Drink Festival. Attendance is FREE.For more information on the event, please visit: https://foodanddrink.gtcoplc.co

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