Oladipupo Clement –Lifepage group (GCEO)
Nigeria has the largest economy in Africa; and one of her major sectors is the real estate industry. The Nigerian real estate market in the last few years has rapidly expanded and is recording exponential growth; steadily increasing foreign direct investment, fast urbanization, and strong corporate demand.
According to a January 2015 report by CBO Capital, the sector was valued at 6.4trn naira ($39bn) and growing at 10% a year. The industry is such a unique one; such that there are different layers of players, namely:
1 Developers
Developers earn a profit by adding value to the land (creating buildings or improvements, rezoning, etc.) and taking the risk of financing a project. Development firms create a new product, which can be thought of as the “primary market” or generation of new inventory.
2 Sales and marketing
Sales and marketing firms work with developers to sell the buildings and units they create. These firms earn a commission for creating all marketing material and using their sales agents to sell the inventory of completed units. These firms typically focus on new units.
We also have the brokers, property managers, lenders and professional service providers like lawyers, accountants, interior decorators, construction workers etc.
Life page group is one of the fastest growing players in the real estate business in Nigeria; a holding company that has successfully executed over 24 estates building projects, with active presence in the U.S, UAE and many nations in Africa. Few days back, we met with the Group’s chief executive officer, Mr Oladipupo Clement, an established global investor, wealth creation and retention coach. We had a lengthy discussion with him, amongst many of what we discussed is the on-going project ‘one million homes’; the groups baby project; which is a vision to build one million homes across Africa by year 2041.
Below are excerpts of the interview:
TBA: Can we meet you sir?
My name is Oladipupo Clement, I am a Global Investor and Trusted Wealth Creation & Retention Coach with a career spanning over two decades.
I worked and trained at one of the foremost financial service groups in Nigeria, where I rose to become a Branch Manager, Senior Manager and proceeded to become a Regional Vice President. I trained over 200 of the company’s workforce nationally, all through my stay in that organization.
I am the Chief Executive Officer of LifePage Group, an Investment Holding Company. LifePage Group has successfully created and managed over 23 projects across Africa, with an investment portfolio deals worth over 20 million dollars.
I am privileged to lead a group of investors/professionals comprising over 15,000 subscribers and realtors. Also co-founded several other companies, within the Construction, Software Development, Executive Education and Agriculture space.
I have been at the forefront of the crusade for the economic emancipation of the average African, through platforms such as the Wealth Creation Summit and the Mega Housing Summit. I teach on how to create wealth and retain it.
I had an MBA from Business School Netherlands, and I’m a proud husband to my beautiful wife Omolara, a seasoned Accountant and Mother & Child Therapist. We are blessed with children.
TBA: We have listened to your radio show many times, what informed the radio program?
I am passionate about the financial emancipation of humanity, and I am more than convinced when you know what to do, the pathway to financial freedom is almost done, that’s one of the major reasons I started the Game plan master class and the radio program tagged The Game plan. The Game plan on Radio reaches millions of people weekly. Everyone around me knows I am an avid reader, I have also written quite a number of books many published and some are yet to be published.
TBA: Life page is a group with special interest in real estate business, what are the subsidiaries in this group?
We have LIFEPAGE ESTATES (properties.lifepagegroup.com)
Here, Our estate projects are strategically located in regions with very great prospects. We have more than 18 estates in our portfolio located in Lagos state, Ogun state, Abuja, Port Harcourt.
We have MILLION HOMES (www.millionhomesafrica.com)
The focus of our business here are:
v INVESTMENTS (invest.millionhomesafrica.com)
This platform allows subscribers to make gains in cash and/or assets while the capital sum is still intact. This is why we say, “Live here or make it fund your living!”
v HOUSING (housing.millionhomesafrica.com)
We design, build and transfer for subscribers in our estates or anywhere in Nigeria. We buy, lease and sell properties anywhere in Nigeria. We also provide post-construction clean up services.
And also CEDRO CONSTRUCTION:
An Indigenous construction firm involved in design and building activities with a major expertise in affordable housing developments. We offer a wide range of services from Pre-construction to Post-construction activities
We design, build, manage, sell and transfer. We create unparalleled value that will outlive you. That’s why we say, we are not only built to last, we also build to last!
We are a team of professionals deeply familiar with housing developments across all sectors and with a vast number of years of experience.
We are engaged in real estate development in all its ramifications as an expert developer and builder positioned to build to last for the purpose of achieving affordable and acceptable housing dreams for all and sundry.
TBA: We understand you have an on-going project, which is more of a vision to build one million homes across Africa by 2041, what informs this vision?
You see, the singular case of housing deficit in Nigeria is already a huge opportunity for us. According to the 2018 World Bank report on Housing, Nigeria has a housing deficit of 17 million, and requires 700,000 homes every year. As at 2018, the housing construction stands at 100,000 units per year, which means the opportunities are huge. Currently, we are on a mission to build One Million Homes across Africa by year 2041; a gigantic vision it is, but one that allows, creates and attracts opportunities. We control the entire value chain in the real estate ecosystem; hence, we are players in every step of the process. In addition, advanced technological discoveries are presenting opportunities and creating an easy way with which individuals can pay for homes, as well as subscribe to our investment packages.
We recently unveiled a “complementary mortgage housing system” that allows subscribers to acquire housing properties and spread payment over a long period of time.
TBA: No doubts, the real estate industry, like other industries has a lot of challenges, what are the major challenges you have had to deal with over the years as a business?:
Numerous challenges exist in the industry where we play and they have stifled creativity and development to a great extent. Below are some of them.
– Lack of proper regulation would be the first thing that characterizes the sector. Certain policies are not in place to curtail excess and illegitimate practices within the sector.
– Poor verification of Documents is another issue that has led to many litigations and pending court cases. The ability to forge and duplicate documents has fostered distrust in the system. It has also led to massive cases of land grabbing.
– There is also a Zero Barrier to entry in the sector, which means that anyone could literally join the “train”, without meeting certain requirements or qualifications.
– Unfriendly Government Policies (Bureaucracy in Government)
– Inadequate funding for both real estate developers, and individuals that would love to acquire properties.
– In recent times, the devaluation of the Naira has led to a drastic increase in the cost of construction materials, which has directly increased the overall cost of construction. With the uncertainty of how to recoup capital, many developers are sceptical about investing such a huge amount into infrastructural development knowing that the percentage of Nigerians with high disposable income has reduced significantly.
TBA: In Five years from today, where do you hope to be as a business entity and as an individual, especially in your quest to build and groom your teeming protégées?
In five years, I would have raised 1,000 multi-millionaires through my financial freedom platform; hosting my monthly financial freedom seminar and having at least 10,000 people in my “Tribe of Wealthy Origin” as well as the “Freedom Tribe”.
As a company, we have the target of building and providing one (1) Million Homes across Africa by 2041. So, in the next 5 years we would have built at least Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand (250,000) Homes; providing shelter to a significant number of Nigerians and Africans. More so, we must have expanded our footprint and presence to at least 8 nations of the world which includes Ghana, Rwanda, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, England, United States of America, Sweden and Canada, providing amazing opportunities; making the lives of those around us richer.
TBA: Thank you for your time,
Thank you for having me.
