‘Your circle of friends can change your life’

Olajide Fasina, the chief executive officer of Olageospatial Global Investment company (OGIC), a real estate company, in this interview with ROTIMI IGE, speaks on his journey in the industry and how he intends to revolutionise the business in Nigeria.

How did your entrepreneurial journey begin?

Some things are inborn like they say that abinibi yato si ability.  My father used to be a contractor while my mother was a petty trader. So, from childhood, I developed an independent mindset as a result of what I learnt from my parents. My father was not really educated but he was very active. People often mistook him for a graduate whereas he didn’t even have a secondary school certificate. So, my entrepreneurship journey started from childhood because I picked the interest from my parents.

What were the bottle necks that you encountered while growing as a top shot in the real estate business?

My major bottlenecks were land acquisition, capital and government interest.  I would say that my profession as a licensed land surveyor gave me an edge and a privilege to know more about land acquisition. And considering the fact that real estate is capital -intensive, capital was a major challenge but I have been able to use divine discretion to solve this problem.

Why did you start up in Anambra State despite your family’s prominence in Ogun State?

Well, we all know the saying that the sun rises from the east and sets in the west. It’s not by chance that I started in Anambra. I schooled in Enugu, had my B.sc in Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) and proceeded to do my Masters at the prestigious Nnamdi Azikwe University where I majored in Remote Sensing and Geographical Information System. Luckily, I served in Anambra State also and that made me reconsider many things which positioned me better. I would rather be in a place where there are a lot of entrepreneurs, independent minds, risk takers, hustlers; people that are ready to face challenges and overcome them.

As an entrepreneur you must be ready to face challenges. That was one of things that actually made me to start and build my business in Anambra.  When I started, there were not so many opportunities as a Yoruba man. But by the grace of God, I was able to conquer difficulties and move on.

Why did you move to Abeokuta where you are now domiciled?

Anambra was just a preparatory ground for me. I schooled there and was exposed to a lot of things there. One led me to become a registered surveyor. It gave me an edge in terms of capital as I said earlier and contributed to my moving to Abeokuta to widen my reach. This is coupled with the fact that I associated with the right people and built a high net worth network upon coming to Abeokuta.

How would you describe your business growth in Abeokuta so far?

A lot of people are responding because of our class and uniqueness. We are growing fast because Abeokuta is yearning for development and I’m glad to be here at this time, especially as an indigene.  Ogun State is in a transition phase as there are many opportunities unlike Lagos that is overpopulated. When there is a population increase, demand for lands and houses increase. This has really helped us. Our flexibility with payment plans has also made our products easily accessible.

What are the projects you are handling at the moment?

We are currently developing estates one of which is the City of David Estate located at Obada-Oko, Abeokuta. It offers a blend of serenity and luxury. Our buildings include bungalows, penthouses, duplexes and other state of the art facilities that are meticulously designed and constructed to industry standards as they are handled by a team of uncompromising and highly skilled professionals. We have made it very affordable with interest-free payment plans up to five years. We have a goal in mind and that is to provide at least 200 housing units before the next three years.

What other projects are you involved in?

Currently under OGIC Group, we just registered a private security outfit, OGIC Security Nigeria Limited that is focused on providing first class security solutions and protection for private individuals, companies and assets. Also, youth empowerment is also top on our list. Very soon, Olajide Fasina Foundation will be a reality. The foundation will be geared towards wealth creation opportunities and supporting other entrepreneurs, especially youths.

Did your formative years affect your businesses in any way?

Yes, it did, especially the kind of friends I had in the university. They contributed a lot.

As a member of many social clubs in Abeokuta, how would you describe the response of the private sector in helping to solve the housing deficit response in Ogun State despite the pandemic?

The social club is an avenue to interact with other great minds and the platform has helped us to reach out to other people. A lot of private sector companies really contributed a lot during the pandemic, especially OGIC. We were able to carry out our social responsibility by giving cash and foodstuffs to the needy. A lot of private sector concerns did likewise. The contribution of the private sector is enormous. We have a lot of real estate companies that have created a more affordable way of having a roof over one’s head and the impact is felt in Ogun State. City of David Estate is a solution to the housing deficit. We have over 250 housing units and over 100 people have subscribed. Construction work is ongoing at site as I speak to you. And we have re-adjusted our payment structure to ease the effect of the pandemic hit.

Would you say the real estate sector was one of the most hit by the pandemic?

Yes, definitely. During the pandemic, people were struggling to feed. Only few thought of shelter. Where health and life is involved, real estate may not be considered important. Since there is scarcity of demand and supply there was also scarcity of products. Yes, the real estate company is one of the worst hit by the pandemic. We must also appreciate the federal and state government for funding the public sector and for providing shock absorbers through different mortgage plans and loans.

What would you say to budding entrepreneurs who are eyeing the real estate business?

They should be prepared to work. It takes hard work, integrity, diligence, ability to solve financial problems and commitment to service. With God on their side, anything is possible. They should not close their minds because it needs a lot of investment. But every idea that is backed up with proper knowledge is achievable.

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I am a very ambitious person. This has played a great role in my life as I struggled to pay my school fees when I was given admission to ESUT  to study Surveying and Geo-informatics. I faced hardship and had setbacks. In school, I associated with children from well-to-do homes and young men that were very ambitious. I can still remember some of my friends and colleagues that dreamt of having their own company while in school. In fact, some were already running their own companies even as undergraduates. There was a particular friend of mine that purchased cabs for transport services while we were still in year two then. So, my colleagues were not just going to school for fun as they were already doing well in businesses. I am also very hardworking. I used to work during the day and throughout the night.

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