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Real Estate Player, KEHINDE BANKOLE
Hon. Kehinde Bankole is an accomplished businessman, philanthropist and politician who has made a significant impact on the real estate industry and in his home State of Kwara. He is the founder of a popular real estate company KAB Constructions.
He was born on November 27, 1983. He hails from Ekan in Oke Ero Local government Area, Kwara State; from the family of Otunba James Bankole of Oke Ilegun compound.
As a building and technical contractor, he has provided services to a diverse range of clients, including prominent universities such as Covenant University, University of Ilorin, University of Abuja, Osun State University, Ekiti State University, Kwara State University, Bowen University, and Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, as well as various state governments, including those of Ekiti, Kogi, Ogun, Osun, Kaduna, Rivers, Bauchi, Zamfara, Niger, Cross River, Edo, and Delta.
Bankole also holds B.Sc Degree in Physics from the University of Ilorin, Masters Degree from the University of Ibadan in Strategic Management, Diploma in Architecture from the Federal Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti and a Doctorate degree (honoris causa) from the Prowess University, Delaware USA.
The big news is that this real estate tycoon will be vying for Kwara governorship come 2027. He spoke about it in an Interview with ISAAC ABIMBADE, a few days back. See excerpts below.
A lot of people know you as a major real estate player. And it’s been a while hearing from your company KAB. Can you tell us what has been happening in the last few months?
Yeah, KAB has been doing its construction job and on the real estate, it’s been quite slow because of the economic situation in the country. The patronage when it comes to buying property is actually very, very low and that is just the blunt truth anyway.
If people say people are buying properties, I don’t know where they are coming from except people abroad who are actually buying. But for Nigerians, as a matter of fact, people only want to eat. They are not thinking of buying properties.
So that has actually affected the property business and what we are doing is we are building. And for those of us who don’t really sell to off plan takers, that actually believe in building with our funds and because of the fluctuation in the price of building materials, it will be very difficult for you to sell to an off plan taker right now. For me, I don’t know about anybody else, but for me as a person, I find it difficult selling to an off plan taker where I wake up to about 200 increment in the price of cement and other building materials. So I wouldn’t want to do that. And for those of us who don’t really take loans, and no bank funds at our disposal to build whatever we are building, maybe when we are done building everything we are building with our money, we might decide to sell in phases, which is actually what we have started doing anyway by the special grace of God.
Can you tell us about your latest project?
Yeah, Lekki Courts (Estate) is ongoing. It’s under construction. It’s on Orchard Road. We are building with our funds. Like I told you, it’s not sold to off plan takers. And the reason is not far-fetched from what I have actually explained earlier about the instability in the price of building materials. You can wake up today, cement is being sold for 2,000, tomorrow it’s 50,000. So you are going to be at the receiving end.
So we are building, we are constructing. Construction is ongoing. We are doing about 350 units there. It’s open for anybody to go and see. So that’s what we are basically doing. And KAB construction, like I told you, we are doing our construction. We are also working for some state governments and working for federal government, working for some individuals. So we are actively involved in our construction, which is what we do. And since I resigned as the MD of KAB Construction, I had to go back to school.
So I’m presently in the University of Abuja, studying Ph.D in public governance and leadership. And that is actually what I’ve been doing personally. Aside that, I’ve not really been doing anything.
Recently you empowered hundreds of Kwarans and you have been doing that for years. A few months a go you also built and donated several boreholes water for them. What should we be expecting from you in 2027? Are you running for a post in Kwara?
Definitely! Some day, one day. And if God says 2027 is the right time, of course it’s going to happen. But definitely, 2027, I’m going to give a political office a shot. And whatever office I decide to go, as God wills, I’m going to win.
That is just it, politically.
What encouragement have you had in terms of support? Do you have what it takes to defeat the structure of Saraki and the incumbent governor?
I don’t really look at that. I think about what I want to do and I set out to do whatever I want to do. So for me, everybody has their own right to support each other. Who told you the governor will not support me? Who told you Saraki himself would not support me? Because Saraki was once my boss in PDP and still a boss politically. So let’s keep our fingers crossed. I recently met with him.
Can you tell us briefly what you have done in the last few months in your state because we heard about the boreholes and other empowerments items you just donated to communities in Kwara State?
In the last few months, in fact a few weeks ago, I went to my local government to commission 10 boreholes for them, which the Deputy Governor, His Excellency, Elder Peter Sara Kisira came to commission. We actually put them in schools, in secondary and primary schools. Anglican Primary School, Comprehensive High School, Secondary School, Grammar School, etc. We did about ten across the entire local government. And of course, scholarship is ongoing, and we are still coming up with putting about a hundred people into the university. First week in January by the special grace of God.
That’s still another thing that we are doing in the pipeline. So we’ve done a whole lot of things by the special grace of God to encourage and support the aged people.
What can you say about Barr. Wole who just unveiled a brand ambassador because he learnt the trade of real estate under you?
Majority of people don’t even know that Wole is not my brother by blood. People really don’t know. I remember the first time I took him to his Imperial Majesty’s office in Ile Ife at Ooni’s Palace.
Till today I have not opened my mouth to tell you that Wole is not my blood brother. When you look at us, there is a kind of resemblance that you would think is actually mine. Wole is a very smart guy. I remember when I told him, I won’t allow you to stand for a 150,000 naira job with your mother in Kwara. I didn’t have to push him. I didn’t have to persuade him. I just told him, Wole, carry your load and come and join me in Lagos.
I’m happy that today, somebody by the special grace of God under my tutelage has been able to stand on his own. He’s been a smart guy. He’s a very humble guy.
What lessons have you learnt this year?
The lesson I’ve learnt this year, especially looking at the economic downturn, I would always tell people, don’t try to be like any other person. Be like yourself. For me, I keep telling people that I am actually my own competitor.
I don’t compete with anybody. I won’t look at you and say I want to be like you. I don’t want to be like anybody. I just want to be like myself. I want to be better than my yesterday. I don’t want to be better than any other person.
I’m not competing with anybody. What is happening in real estate, the best thing is for you to be yourself. Don’t look at people from afar and look at the life they are living and say you want to copy their lifestyle.
