Real estate solidified my interest in entrepreneurship, people – Lukman Shobowale

The real estate business is recently booming in Lagos State and across the country with about a 25% increase in solutions to the problem of homelessness in the centre of excellence; Shobowale Lukman’s Dukiya Investment where he doubles as the co-founder and Head of Business and Growth is making a significant contribution in reducing unsettled lodgers to the barest minimum.

In this interview with our correspondent, he shared his journey into real estate and how he bagged the Entrepreneur of the year prize in the just-concluded Future African Awards.

1. Congratulations on winning the Best Entrepreneur in the just concluded Future African Awards. Can you tell us about the moment you found out you had won and your initial reaction?

I wouldn’t say that I didn’t see the win coming, however, I also acknowledge the fact that there were a lot of qualified persons on the nomination list. So, when I eventually made the winners’s shortlist, I was ecstatic because that singular win was like an endorsement of the work we have been doing. The spotlight was great, and it served as reinforcement for me to deliver even more excellently.

2. What inspired you to become an entrepreneur, and how did your journey begin?

According to a saying by Confucius, choose a job that you like, and you will never have to work a day in your life.

My drive for land banking and real estate development dates back to my years as a Youth Corper. By a dint of luck, I got introduced to the world of real estate, and I discovered the endless possibilities attached to making people go from cranky tenants to proud property owners.

In my first year alone as a sales associate, I did a million dollars in sales, selling came naturally to me, and I knew then and there that I had found my calling.

3. Can you share some of the key challenges you faced on your entrepreneurial path and how you overcame them?

When my partner and I started out, we lost almost $200,000 to a venture that did not pan out like we thought it would. That singular occurrence could have spelt the end for us and could have landed us in the sea of unemployment, but we refused to give up without a fight.
I remember days when I had just one suit, and I commuted from Baruwa, Ipaja to Lekki, Lagos to meet people and make sales, I was disdained and treated with scorn due to my shabby wardrobe, but right now my problem is not in what to wear but what colour of outfit to wear.

Government regulations also form a huge part of some of the major challenges I consistently experience, some of these regulations range from policies to the timeline set in place for processing certain documents and permissions.
Nevertheless, every challenge and difficulty that led to this moment has taught me the power of tenacity and the audacity of hope.

4. Winning this award must be a significant milestone. How do you see it impacting your future business endeavours?

It is a positive reinforcement lauding the arduous task of building a thriving real estate brand that seeks to redefine the property ownership experience for Nigerians, building a platform for young people to pursue their dreams, while also boosting the Nigerian economy.
The reward for hard work is more work, thus, this nomination is a boost to my aspirations, and a propeller to keep breaking through glass ceilings and doing excellent work.

5. What qualities or strategies do you believe contributed to your success as an entrepreneur?

The major key factors that aided my success as an entrepreneur, is community, curiosity, coupled with an unbending resolve to be successful regardless of the odds.

6. Are there any mentors or role models who have influenced your approach to entrepreneurship?

There are quite a number of outstanding models I revere due to the great role they played in modelling invaluable entrepreneurial skills to me and being my Northern star in the real estate industry. One of such individuals is my former boss, Mr Dapo Agida, who’s also into real estate; he’s one of the first persons who provided a good amount of enlightenment in this space. There is also Mr Adebo Adejana, the M.D of Realty Point, and the South-west Chairman for real estate developers of Nigeria, whose life and work inspire the things I do. The controversial ex-president of America, Donald Trump, and his great contribution, exploits, and reforms in the real estate sector also turbo-charge my vision for the real estate sector in Nigeria.

7. Many aspiring entrepreneurs look up to award winners for guidance. What advice would you give to those just starting their entrepreneurial journey?

My advice to entrepreneurs and startups just navigating the murky and tricky waters of entrepreneurship is that, at first it doesn’t make any sense but if you do it well enough it will begin to make sense.

8.  How do you stay innovative and adapt to changing market trends in your business?

Being a student of the game has helped me retain an innovative edge in the work I do. I always tell people that there is no such thing as the master of the game because the game keeps changing! One minute you think you’re on top of the latest insights and then a new one is introduced. The place of continuous learning, opening up yourself to absorb knowledge, staying ahead of trends and exposing yourself to new ideas, the market, studying trends, and investing in personal development and research, are some of the vital things that ensure you stay in the game as an excellent innovator.

9. Can you share a memorable experience or project that you feel particularly proud of in your entrepreneurial career?

I believe that the real estate products and services that we curate as an organisation are iconic, ageless, and specifically tailored to fit our clients’ peculiar property needs. At Dukiya Investment, we don’t just sell lands by chance, we curate unmatched real estate solutions, and I also double as a product development manager. I am also privileged to work with a fantastic team that consistently generates enviable results, so for me, I’ll say that every product Dukiya has birthed thus far is my pride and joy, each with memorable tales that inspire me.

10. What do you see as the next big challenge or opportunity in the entrepreneurial world, and how are you preparing for it?

The next big challenge for me hinges solely on securing funding to go a step higher in our mission of bridging the existing housing deficit in Lagos by curating affordable housing solutions. This year, we have done a lot with respect to land banking, and in the coming year, we hope to quadruple our output in terms of building homes that hold the promise of affordability, comfort, and luxury, thereby making more proud property owners.

11. Has winning this award changed your perspective on success and entrepreneurship in any way?

No, this award hasn’t changed my mindset in any way; I know that I’m a born winner and awards will be a constant for me because I put in the work and go the extra mile in all I do. Undoubtedly, the entrepreneurial journey has been a roller coaster journey for me but I believe firmly that as long as I am tenacious and I keep to the grind, I’ll always bag awards of excellence.
Nevertheless, just like the laurels you don’t always see stars, sometimes it’s the scars you see, so whether this road comes with laurels or scars, it is all the same. The ultimate aim is fulfilling my role, and having the satisfaction that I did something well.

12. What are your long-term goals and aspirations as an entrepreneur?

I’m not in the real estate industry for a short stint, to just cause a ripple in the waters and leave, no. I aspire to be Africa’s biggest personality shaping the real estate landscape, a household name in the real estate industry in Africa, and the largest holder and seller of land properties in Africa.

13. How do you balance work and personal life while managing a successful business?

I need to be alive to do business, therefore, I place priority on rest as a necessary tool for me to deliver excellent results in the work I do. Nevertheless, I’m of the school of thought that opines that, don’t rest too long, make rest a necessity, not an objective. If you make rest a priority you end up a mediocrity.

14. Can you share a bit about your future plans or projects that you’re currently working on?

Currently, we’re working on building more sustainable housing solutions for Nigerians in a bid to contribute our qouta to the ever growing housing deficit. In lieu of this award, I intend to consistently dedicate myself to constant learning to gain capacity for greater feats, then leverage the power of networking and collaboration to build foul-proof reforms that will turbo charge the change we desire in the housing sector in Africa, and in the process build Africa’s image on the global landscape.

15. What would you say to fellow entrepreneurs who may be striving to achieve similar recognition and success in their careers?

My advice is, don’t give up on the first try.
Be dogged, focused, and fight hard for your success story as if your life depended on it. Success stories don’t get cooked up overnight, there’s a lot of sweat, backbreaking work, and unending efforts that go on behind the scenes, therefore, for you to attain your big break it is entirely up to you and how badly you want to break free.