How bold vision, debt defiance and century thinking can rewrite Africa’s entrepreneurial story.
The End of the “Me-Too” Mindset:
“We cannot afford to do me-too projects,” Dr. Sijibomi Ogundele began, his tone firm, his eyes alive with conviction. “All these microwave ventures, this copy-and-paste entrepreneurship—it’s killing originality.
You see someone doing one thing, and you rush to replicate it. That’s not innovation; that’s imitation disguised as ambition. And imitation always leads to limitation.”
“Dangote isn’t competing with anyone in Nigeria,” he said. “He’s competing with the world’s eight billion people. That’s how we must think.” Dr. Ogundele’s words sliced through the clutter of copy-and-paste entrepreneurship that has plagued emerging markets.
He called it the _microwave mindset—_projects designed for quick applause, not for history.
“Too many of us build for four years,” he continued, “when we should be building for four hundred.”
It was a direct challenge to an entire generation of founders who measure success in funding rounds instead of footprints.
For Ogundele, the enemy is imitation. The goal is immortality.
The Courage to Build Through Fire:
The Sujimoto story has never been one born from comfort. Delays, cancellations, and debts have been public. Critics predicted a collapse. Instead, Ogundele turned transparency into a weapon.
“Yes, we owe. Yes, we face challenges,” he admitted. “But even Dangote’s debt could make some of us faint. Pressure is proof of purpose.”
When the pandemic froze projects across Lagos, Sujimoto doubled down.
LucreziabySujimoto rose from the ground like defiance cast in marble and glass. Despite delays, critics, and whispers of impossibility, the developer pressed on. Today, the project is set for completion and delivery by *December 2025—*a bold reminder that vision always outlasts volatility.
Other Sujimoto projects continue to advance, as new and ambitious developments keep emerging — a towering statement that Africa deserves iconic structures that make the world look twice. Each creation, Dr. Ogundele insists, is a masterclass in possibility: where luxury meets local craftsmanship, discipline refines design, and audacity defines identity.
Debt as Discipline:
While many whisper about liabilities, Ogundele reframes debt as _discipline—_the price of building something that will survive you. “Even Elon Musk has debt. Otedola has debt. Dangote has debt. If you have none, maybe you’re not dreaming big enough,” he quipped, drawing laughter and nervous agreement.
“We’ve had cancellations, we’ve refunded, and we’ll continue to refund. We have debt, and we’ll honour every kobo. We didn’t come this far, think this big, just to be destroyed by a little debt,” Dr. Ogundele added.
“We have over ₦200 billion in assets, and a ₦3, 10 or even 20 billion debt cannot derail a lifetime vision built on integrity and discipline,” he continued, insisting that debt, when guided by purpose, becomes a tool for creation, not collapse.
“So long as our debt is centralized on projects, not on consumption but on production, it remains an investment in the future, not a burden of the past,” he emphasized, underscoring his belief that true debt should build, not burden.
Sujimoto has honored all legitimate refund requests from clients through a transparent, verifiable process. The company continues to maintain open communication with all investors and remains steadfast in its commitment to deliver on every promise made.
That statement echoed beyond real estate. It captured the philosophy that separates doers from dreamers: discomfort is not failure—it’s tuition for greatness.
Becoming Our Own Government:
Beyond balance sheets, his message struck deeper—an indictment of dependency.
“You cannot delegate your vision to people who have no vision, nor entrust your future to those who can’t see beyond their paycheck,” he said. “Be your own government. Build your own roads. Generate your own power. Dig your own water.”
In a nation where infrastructure failure has become folklore, it sounded almost revolutionary. But to Ogundele, it’s not rebellion; it’s realism.
“Complaints don’t construct cities,” he added. “Courage does.”
In ten years, many of today’s young entrepreneurs will be in their fifties.
Ogundele’s question to them was haunting:
“What legacy will we hand over—a catalogue of copied ideas, or a skyline that tells the world we were here?”
For him, the answer is non-negotiable. The Sujimoto Generation must become the builders of record—the ones who refused to shrink ambition to fit chaos.
The Dangote Effect:
When Ogundele speaks of Alhaji Aliko Dangote, the tone shifts from rivalry to reverence. “Dangote is not just a businessman; he’s a national asset—a gift to Africa,” he said. “Whenever I hear anyone speak ill of him, I feel personally attacked. He inspires me from a distance.”
To Ogundele, Dangote’s greatest achievement isn’t the refinery or the fortune—it’s the mindset.
“He doesn’t see borders; he sees humanity. That’s why he wins.”
Sujimoto recalled being present during the early days of Dangote’s 650,000-barrel-per-day refinery — a vision so bold that many called it madness. “They said he had bitten off what would swallow him,” Ogundele recounted. “They mocked the scale, the ambition, the audacity. But years later, at the commissioning, those same critics stood in silence—awestruck, chewing their own words. That day taught me something profound: visionaries are always misunderstood, until they win.”
By invoking the continent’s most influential industrialist, Ogundele isn’t flattering; he’s framing a challenge. If one man can transform raw commodities into global value chains, what excuse does an entire generation have for small vision?
From Projects to Purpose:
Behind the marble and glass of Sujimoto’s developments lies a broader agenda: inspiring a movement of African builders who treat excellence as duty.
From _Lucrezia to Sujimoto Polo Smart City, Abuja—_a groundbreaking development redefining luxury and sustainability in the heart of the Federal Capital Territory—Ogundele is proving that “world-class” isn’t foreign; it’s a standard Africans can set for themselves.
Each construction site doubles as a training ground for young artisans and architects who now see local craftsmanship as a global export.
“At Sujimoto, we’ve transformed our challenges into insight, realizing that Africa is a retail economy,” Ogundele explained. “That’s why we’re diversifying into FMCG, fintech, and manufacturing. We’ve learned from pioneers like Dangote, Abdul Samad Rabiu, and the Adenugas that true wealth isn’t in luxury alone—it’s in creating products people need every day. We’re not just building towers of marble; we’re building systems of value.”
For Sujimoto, the dream isn’t just to build towers, but to build a generation.
“Dangote isn’t competing with anyone in Nigeria. He’s competing with the world’s eight billion people. We have an obligation to Think Big, and that’s how we must think as a Generation.” — Dr. Sijibomi Ogundele
Dr. Sijibomi Ogundele is the Group Managing Director of Sujimoto Holdings, the Czar of Luxury RealEstate Development, and the mastermind developer behind the renowned Giuliano. Our other audacious projects, such as the most sophisticated building in Banana Island, LucreziaBySujimoto, the grandiose Sujimoto Twin Tower, the tallest twin towers in Africa; the regal Queen Amina by Sujimoto, a monument to royal affluence; the magnificent high-rise LeonardoBySujimoto; the Sujimoto Farm; an advanced farm estate system that incorporates housing, farm hospitals, hotels, and markets within an ecosystem, creating opportunities for agro-tourism and affordable housing., among other projects that have etched an indelible imprint on Nigeria’s skylines, a testament to Sujimoto’s unrivalled mastery of modern-day engineering.
