CEO of Sujimoto Construction Limited, Sijibomi Ogundele has identified value creation and the desire to make impact as his propelling force.
Ogundele said this when he granted journalists an interview to mark his 40th birthday celebration. He said creating value makes one relevant in the scheme of things and that nobody likes anyone who doesn’t give them value.
For the real-estate bigwig, the way he was brought up by his mother played a major role in how he turned out as an adult.
“I was not born with a silver spoon! In fact, I had no spoon at all!
He said, “Poverty and the desire to make an impact drive me. Acquiring wealth is ultimate but for me when your neighbour is hungry, of course, your chicken is not safe. So, a rich man in the midst of the poor is also poor and has been enslaved with mental poverty.”
“At the tender age of 5, my mother would wake us up very early in the morning while my mates are sleeping and she would say to me: “Ajaniogun wakeup, wake up! Isel’ogunise” meaning Ajaniogun, wake up, wake up! Hard work is the cure for poverty.
“During the holidays, while my friends were busy playing Nintendo and going on holidays, I would have to resume work at my mum’s shop in Oke-Arin, gradually learning the ropes and charting the path for my future! My mother’s words have been my driving force!”
“Value creation also drives me. Nobody likes anyone who doesn’t give them value. If you are my brother and you are not adding value to me, I am not ready to do business with you.”
“Integrity is a must have! It is the currency of my business – saying what you mean and meaning what you say.”On many occasions, when I say something, I make sure I uphold that promise, even if it results in a loss, we will take it as a debt of integrity.
“Though I grew up in Oke-Arin and in the slums of Agege, I have travelled to over 40 countries.I have had the privilege of staying in some of the best hotels, experienced exceptional customer service and have seen some of 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 the highest standard, I can’t resist voicing my discontent, and in most cases, I refuse to pay the bill for mediocrity!”
On if he has any regrets having clocked 40, Ogundele said, “Regrets? None! I see every event in my life as an opportunity for learning and improvement. Every setback has been a strategic way of God setting me up for greater opportunities.”
Ogundele is the brain behind the $52 million architectural masterpiece, LucreziaBySujimoto situated at Banana Island.
Friends throw surprise party
Suji, in all my 44 years, this has never happened before! I have never seen people coming together and contributing $50k at such short notice! Wow! Just keep doing what you are doing because the Almighty is indeed with you, “ these were the words of Lanre Alfred to Ogundele after a surprise dinner birthday party put together by his friends.
One of the questions the king of Dubai – Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum asked Ogundele in 2015 was ‘What’s the quality of your network?’
“I didn’t know how to answer that question then, because I haven’t really given it a thought but I told him about my vision and dream to redefine luxury living in Nigeria and I remember he said to me: If you want to grow faster, build a quality network. And to do this, you must remember that friendship is more like farming than hunting. You plant, nurture and weed it.
Today these words came to me and I understood better what HRH King Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum was trying to explain to me,” Ogundele said.
Projects
Sujimoto is a luxury real estate and construction company with a vision to redefine the way people live.
The firms core competencies include Residential development, Commercial Development and Hospitality mainly in Ikoyi and Banana Island.
Its expanded operations in construction cater to the discerning clients who wish to be associated only with bespoke and iconic structures.
Sujimoto build sutilizing the best of quality materials and the turn-around time is faster compared to what the competition has to offer. Also, their prices are affordable and the quality of delivery is unrivalled.
Ongoing luxury projects include, Medici in Ikoyi, Giuliano, Lucrezia and Leonardo in Banana Island; QueenAmina in Abuja; Sujimoto Mall, The HQ and lots more.
“People always question why I ventured into Luxury real estate, the answer is simple; I enjoy creating and maintaining an experience people will never forget, this is why I started Sujimoto, this is why I continue breaking the glass ceiling which every project we execute. Some call it noise but I call it passion,” Ogundele said.
