“Suji, in my experience, this has never happened before! I have never seen people coming together and contributing $50k at such a short notice! Wow! Just keep doing what you are doing because the Almighty is indeed with you”. There were the words of Lanre Alfred to me after my surprise dinner birthday party put together by my friends.

Show me your friend and I will tell you who you are.
One of the questions the king of Dubai – Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum asked me 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.

On my 40th birthday, I had wanted to travel to Saudi Arabia and rest, restrategise and refuel! But my friends had other plans. First, I couldn’t find my passport. Secondly, numerous people started calling, giving me reasons not to travel. Some raised the issue of the pandemic, while others were bent on taking me for dinner. Someone in particular called to say his Mum is interested in purchasing a unit of our project in QueenAminaBySujimoto Abuja Project and would want to come around to discuss with me (Of Course anything transaction, I am surely interested). All of these was just to get me not to leave the country before my birthday and they succeeded!

To my greatest surprise, in less than 4 days, they raised About 20 million and planned a surprise birthday dinner party, bringing friends from Lagos, Abuja, Dubai, NYC and the UK. How they were able to do this within the shortest possible time is the true test of friendship.

I was blown away when I got to the venue of the surprised dinner party and saw a lot of my friends, some that I haven’t even seen in years. It was a very emotional event for me because it reminded me of my Mother’s famous saying: ‘Eniyan Laso Mi’ which means ‘People are my covering,’ and the little investment we put into the development of friendship, gives the highest Returns.

My friends didn’t only plan a Surprise Dinner Party, knowing fully well my love for children and my philosophy of generosity, they also went ahead to put together a Charity Visit to a slum school on a dunghill in Ilaje, Bariga; known as the Footprints of David. The fact that through them, I could put a smile on the faces of these kids, who have defied their environment and have embraced learning as a tool to fight poverty, increased my faith in humanity.

I have learnt over the years that one of the fundamental secrets of success is surrounding yourself with assets, not liability. If Jesus, understanding the importance of building a strong network, loved the whole world but selected 12 friends from different walks of life, then why shouldn’t you?

I am forever grateful and will never forget this favour from these amazing friends who have turned family, they are; Adedoyin Alatishe, Kabiru Rabiu, Chioma & Kika (Good Hair), Maurice Khawam, Jad Jarmakani, Frederic Nader, Seyi Tinubu, Hafeez Balogun, Olori E, Maiden Ibru, Toke Ibru, Tive Ibru, Hajia Tai Elemesho, SIP brothers , Eni Adenuga, Mr. Obi Iyiegbu (Obi Cubana), Petee, Chief Chikelo Ejikeme, (Amb) Dr. Sowemimo Abiodun, Bovi, Ubi Franklin, Tosin Oshinowo, Dr. Wole Aboderin, Folajimi Lai-Mohammed, Arese Alonge, Alh balogun, TJ Saro, Folly Coker, Chef Tolu Eros, Ahmad Damcida, Mariam Timmer, Akin Cole Onitiri, Dabota Lawson, Rasheed Muri-Okunola, Habeeb Okunola, Tayo Otubanjo, Bamikole Omishore, Tim Trevari, Victor Ovia, Rep Babajide Obanikoro, Tunde Otufale, Chinedum Odogwu, Niyi Adeyemi (sirspin), Hon Ololade Onakoya MFR, MKD Araoye, Suleiman Sani Bello, Akin Cole Onitiri, David Branbaifa, Hon Elvis Dada, Mbadiwe Twins, Mary Dinar, Mr. E.A, Miss MA, Demola Fashola, Seun Okin, Chima Anyaso, Alao Semih Oladimeji, Andrew Zidon, Nkemkanma Kama, Akinfemi Akinruntan, Commander, Tunde Otufale, Korede Roberts, Joseph Orike, Kennedy Njideofor, Christopher Taiwo, Laniyan Kolawole, Victor Ikem, Uzoma Konyeaso, Mr. Akin Afe, Nkemkanma Kama, Osemwengie G. Agbonlahor II, Tope Ajileye, Lanre Badmus, Solomon Agbataekwe – Richmond, Ogunlesi Simon Kay, Ola Daramola, Suwaid Muhammad, Wemo, Afolabi Olatunji, Funmilola Olotu, Sam Iwuajoku Jnr., Olakunle Olaniyi, Owolabi, Farouk Bello, Hon Funke Adesiyan, Tobi Emeke, Saheed Kuteyi, Mr. Tajudeen Ahmed, Olaseni Ogundairo, Richard Nnadi, Alaoma Anumudu, Rt Hon Amarachi C. Iwuanyanwu, Ogunlesi Simon Kay, Mr Tajudeen Ahmed, Nicole Tafawa Balewa, Lakunle R, Joseph Orike, Zero percent, Mustapha Umar Ali, Dr. Jamal Akinade, Uzoma konyeaso, Mr Akin Afe, are Aliu TDA, Akin Olaoye, Sagun Malumi, Donald Wokoma, Babajide Balogun, Tayo Otubanjo, JT, Yahaya Zekeri Junior, Leke Dokunmu, Dr. Jamal Akinade, Aedan Asika, Gbenga Adeyi, Rasheed Kashamu, Stephen Ajadi, Estanola Oyelese, Rilwan Layode, Seun Okin, Tope Shonuga, Mazi A.V. Orji, Frank Papas, Barr Ify Morah, Kennedy Njideofor, Lanre Onabowale, Dr. Ibidapo Fashina, Gbolahan Osinowo, Aramide Adetayo and others.

Sijibomi Ogundele is the MD of Sujimoto Construction Limited, the n0.1 Luxury Real Estate Company in Nigeria and the Developer of LeonardoBySujimoto, the 24 storey luxury building, including private Cinema and full home automation; the Lucrezia, the 14 Storey Residential Highrise with premium features and facilities; the QueenAminaBySujimoto, a first-of-its-kind luxury tower located in highbrow Abuja; and the developer of the proposed Sujimoto Tower in Downtown Dubai.

Source: GhanaFeed.Com

Towering 65m above the ground, the $52 million architectural masterpiece, LucreziaBySujimoto audaciously dominates the landscape of Africa’s most expensive square meter, Banana Island. The 14-storey skyscraper which is the brainchild of Sujimoto Construction Ltd, the leading luxury construction company in Africa, has a combined liveable space of 18,000 square meters and will be the tallest residential building in the highbrow neighbourhood.

The design of the sophisticated building combines the rare attributes of Beauty, Affluence and Style. The purely residential 14 storey tower includes luxury apartments which comprises magnificent maisonettes and 2 of Africa’s best penthouses, the first Virtual Golf Bar in Africa, Full Home Automation where you can control your lights, door, air conditioning, curtains, music & TV from the touch of a button, an IMAX Cinema, a 345 square meter temperature controlled pool including a Jacuzzi and kids’ pool, the 14 storey building has a floor to ceiling height of 4m, which creates an illusion that makes it look 20 storeys tall, an Interactive lobby where business meetings and casual hangouts can be held, Zaha Hadid by Porcelanosa sanitary wares, Private Salon, Crèche, amongst a host of others.

During the construction phase of the foundation, 25,000 cubic metres of soil was excavated, a total of 11,500 cubic metre concrete of C40 was used to create one of the biggest pile caps in the world which has a 900 mm piles diameter that goes 45-meter-deep, making the Lucrezia’s foundation one of the strongest foundation ever! The pile caps have a depth of up to 2.55m with 900 x 300mm tie beams. In all, a total of 1470 trucks of concrete were required to deliver these pile caps. The luxury development will use approximately 1000 tons of steel, Bonded Post Tensioning slabs, this makes Sujimoto the first indigenous company to use such technology which is only used in Dubai for the construction of high-rise buildings. This technology reduces the weight of the building, increases the speed of construction by 40%, eliminates shrinkage and offers more flexibility for structural modifications.

The 56 metres condominium will be the first 14 storey with Glass Reinforced Concrete façade costing the company over €2 million (N1,146,000,000) to deliver one of the best façades systems in the world. The façade panels will have a finishing covering of approximately 7500 square metres.

Having raised the first slab on the 1st of December, 2020 and currently on the 8th floor, the Lucrezia will be the fastest luxury condominium ever built in Africa with a delivery timeline of 1st of January, 2022.

Those who came onboard 11 months ago are the biggest winners as some of them bought the maisonette for $1.2 million. The almost sold out maisonette is selling for $1.9m at the moment while the penthouse which is approximately 1400m² is selling for $9 million, making it the cheapest yet most sophisticated penthouse in Africa with exclusive and remarkable features such as: a private gym, private looby, private lift, the first private pool in the sky which is located on the 12th floor, a private cinema and the first private golf Garden in Africa!

According to Sijibomi Ogundele, CEO Sujimoto Group, the Lucrezia’s penthouse is arrogantly built for the vital Few.

Source: GhanaFeed.Com

It was in 2019, I was near ‘dead broke’ after I had just spent millions on the #SujimotoIs5 event – an event that put Lagos at a standstill!

At that time, the foundation and piling of the LucreziabySujimoto was taking billions of Naira, and we had two (2) other major projects that were killing me financially. Society was watching and failure wasn’t an option!

In that instance, a friend and an ‘egbon’ approached me to sell the Lucrezia’s penthouse to him. After negotiation, we agreed 2.5M USD and he made me leave NYC to meet him in Dubai, but he never showed up.

I was desperate and devastated. When I returned to Lagos, the ‘egbon’ apologised and we had a series of meetings. At last, even though he did not buy, we were lucky because we found a magnanimous bank (Providus Bank) which, despite all odds, gave us the capital, not only to continue the project but to complete it!

In November 2020, we completed the foundation and today, the LucreziaBySujimoto is now on the 6th floor – the fastest of its kind. The same penthouse we offered the egbon in 2019 at 2.5m USD is now selling for 8.5M USD!

Don’t allow anyone use their bread to lick your soup. No one can design your destiny except you, but you have to make the move! Whatever the Almighty has for everyone will surely come to pass, FAILURE is not an option!

Source: GhanaFeed.Com