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Real Estate Guru, Dr. BAMIDELE ONALAJA Tells City People
Real Estate guru, Dr. Bamidele Chris Onalaja is 50.
Real estate guru, Dr. Bamidele Onalaja is 50. That is the big news rocking the real estate sector in Lagos as this hardworking and very creative businessman marks his milestone birthday.
He is the Group Managing Director of RevolutionPlus Property Company which is one of the leading real estate companies in the Built industry. He sits atop a flourishing real estate empire, that has many subsidiaries.
To mark his birthday, this man many of his colleagues call The Jagaban of Real Estate has just written 2 great books which a lot of people are already talking about. The first one is titled The Revolutionary Leader: A Biography of Dr. Bamidele Onalaja.
(Tracing The Footprints of a giant. It is the Grass To Grace story of a young man who never thought he would be at the height he is today, because of his humble beginnings. It is a story of Grace, Grit and Perseverance. It is the story of how he broke the claws of poverty and became a renowned serial entrepreneur and philanthropist.
The 2nd book is titled: Living In Two Worlds: How I Went From A Truck Boy To A Business Tycoon. It is a book about Bridging The Gap Between Employment & Entrepreneurship.
The book is every entrepreneur’s roadmap to success. It provides practical tips on how to start and grow a business.
A few days back, City People got him to talk about his success story at 50. In the interview, he revealed a lot about how he became a big real estate player in Nigeria today. We got him to tell us what is on his mind as he clocks 50.
“First of all, I want to give God all the glory for His faithfulness and kindness over my life, my business, my family, and my loved ones..” he began.
“Five decades on earth have been amazing, challenging, and very inspirational, especially the last 10 years. Because before the last 10 years, I was working as an employee in the Telecommunication, and real estate sectors. I worked at Agbara Estate Limited, the first real estate company in Nigeria, owned by the late Adeyemi Lawson (that’s where I developed my love for the real estate business). From there, I moved to mortgage banking and I worked with Refuge Mortgage Bank, Cornerstone Mortgage Bank, and Sterling Mortgage Bank.
After all these, I started my own real estate company and that was 10 years ago and it’s 10 years of running RevolutionPlus Property and its subsidiaries. When I was like age 6, I couldn’t have imagined where I am today and take a look also to the last 10 years, I didn’t know I could have achieved this big, touched more lives because life is about touching lives.”
“I came from a humble background. In fact, I grew up without spoon. There was no spoon let alone wood spoon or silver spoon. It is God that showeth mercy for me to be this influential in society. That’s why I could impact more lives through my Chris Bamidele Onalaja Foundation (CBOF). ”
“I feel happy. I have a wonderful family, my wife, kids, staff members and other people have a cumulatively added to my life. I want to use this opportunity to thank them all. Also, the former staff of Revolutionplus property, my friends all over Nigeria. I want to thank the Executive Governor of the state, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his Deputy, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, and other people who have influenced me in this journey. I also want to thank all the members of REDAN because I was the immediate Chairman of REDAN in Lagos. I thank the Special Adviser to the governor on media, Mr Gboyega Akosile”.
When he was young, what was on his mind to do and become?
“When I was in primary school, my father had been telling me that I must become a doctor or a lawyer. I attended Karaole Primary School, Ifako Agege, Lagos. I went to school without sandals. There was no money for me to buy shoes. I used to trek to school. My father will give you one sandal for a year and once that sandal got spoiled or missing, he won’t buy any sandals in that year for you again”.
“So my growing up was very inspiring and it makes me tough. I grew up in Lagos. It also makes me to know God early but I was born into a Christian home. My father was a disciplinarian. Once we receive our report card, he would be waiting for us with cane. My brother would always take no 1 or second position in his class while I would always be 38 or 20 something out of 40 in class. My father always beat me for that. But there was a time I came 8 or so as a result of his discipline”.
“When I started secondary school, my father had always insisted he wanted me and my late elder brother to become doctors but four times I failed physics and you can’t be a doctor without physics. So when I was ready to proceed again, I switched to Economics which I eventually studied at the University. I wanted to be a doctor but now I am a real estate developer”.
Looking back, would he say he has achieved what he set out to achieve in life?
“I have achieved beyond my expectations! Because I know so many of my mates who we attended either Primary, or Secondary and even University together. I talk to them often. Among many of them, God has been good to me. I have overachieved. Not for myself personally but what I have been able to do for others through me. I have influenced so many lives. Myself and my wife have free school in Ikorodu. It’s tuition-free for underprivileged”.
“We have empowered over 5 thousand widows, free empowerment. We gave out sewing machines, grinding machines, etc. We also gave out scholarships. We went to my community in Isonyin Ijebu about 3 years ago to build a police station, we gave them many boreholes and we empowered so many people. We gave 10 scholarships to 10 students of Isonyin Grammar School. We also gave another 10 scholarships to 10 Odopotu students”.
Talking about the RevolutionPlus brand, is he happy where it is today?
“Yes. When we started Revolutionplus property God wanted us to revolutionize real estate business and added value to real estate in Nigeria. When we wanted to register Revolution, we were told the name is taken and my wife says we should add Plus and that’s how we have Revolutionplus today. Revolution is a game-changing and putting plus is an addition. And when we started, we became a game changer in the last 10 years. When we started, there were so many things not been done but we started doing them. We started fencing of our estates. We signed brand ambassadors etc. We have done 12 thousand allocations over the years”.
What is the next phase for him?
“I thank God I’m 50, I pray that God will let me see another 50.
The next 10 years is to move the company and all its subsidiaries all over the world. I want to do something significant. I want people to feel the impact in Nigeria and all over the world. I want to people to feel the impact In europe. They are feeling it in America. We can now move it to Canada and all other countries. So I want to run a global company. In the next 10 years, I want Revolutionplus and its subsidiaries to surpass what we have done in the last 10 years”.
What has life taught him at 50?
“Trust no man. The only people I trust in this life are my immediate family. My family members because those are the people who have shown to be trusted. Life has taught me to be good to everyone. One of my drivers has been with me for over 8 years. I work with Hausa, Igbo. I’m indifferent. I’m a true Nigerian. Life has taught me to be nice to everyone. Be nice to people. People have taken advantage of me in this life but I have learnt my lessons but that’s story for another day. Have faith in God. That’s why I can’t forget my pastor Chris Oyakhlome. He taught me the word of God like a baby. And that’s what has helped me, my business. Because a lot of people have said you shouldn’t be existing despite all we went through but I have a word for them. This brand will continue to exist for the next 50 years. It will continue to wax stronger. I want to thank all our clients for standing with the brand and believing in the vision”.
What shape is the celebration taking?
“It will start with thanksgiving. It will also showcase the beautiful things we have done on the last 10 years as a company and CBOF as a foundation and my life.
I’m launching 2 books. One is my autobiography titled The Revolutionary Leader and the second one is Living In Two Worlds. The Revolutionary Leader is a book I will recommend for everyone. If you read that book, it will not only make you shed tears, you will also cry. You will laugh about my wonderful father “Baba Ijebu” and his two wives. You will laugh about how 10 children will manage 1 cup of beans when we don’t have food at home. Despite all these challenges, I came out of it”.
“The second book: Living in Two Worlds is about my life as an employee and now a CEO. So I will recommend that book to everyone who wants to own their business”.
In the last 10 years of Revolutionplus, can he tell us his happiest moments and the day he really felt bad?
“We have had so many days of thanksgiving in the company. There was a particular day about 8 years ago we were driving to Mowe. One of our buses loaded with customers and Emirates airline staff had a terrible accident. The bus somersaulted 4 times but we thank God nobody died. They bought our Mowe project then. You can imagine what would have happened to us if they had died. The bus was a write off. What money can you pay for that? We thank God”.
How has it been working together with his wife?
“Working together has been amazing. We have been working together for 8 years. She joined me 2 years after the business. Working with her has been so helpful. One thing about working with women is that, women are more detailed. They pay attention to details”.
“So many things my staff will bring for me that I would have approved but if they take it to ED, she will discover one or 2 things and cancel it. Women are better managers. All my branches are being headed by women”.
“Ever since she started working with me things starting getting better. People may not like her because she is strict and she’s a no nonsense woman. But that works for me because I have lapses. But we also fight a lot. We have our misunderstandings”.
