Sujimoto's Sijibomi Ogundele named in Daily Times Top 100 Trailblazers

Sijibomi Ogundele, founder and chief executive of Sujimoto Group, has been named among Nigeria's Top 100 Trailblazers by Daily Times Nigeria, as the newspaper marks its 100th anniversary.

The list celebrates people whose work has shaped Nigerian business, entrepreneurship and national development, according to the outlets that reported the award. Daily Times was established in 1926.

Other figures named in the centenary honours include President Bola Tinubu and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who are to receive Prestige Honours. The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, is billed for a Community Impact Award, while MTN Nigeria chief executive Karl Olutokun Toriola is to get a Digital Company of the Decade Award, ThisDay reported.

Debt repayment and a new tower

Ogundele said the recognition meant more because it came from a paper that has documented Nigeria's political, economic and social life for a century. He thanked Daily Times and its patron, media entrepreneur Fidelis Anosike, for the initiative.

He also spoke about the harder side of the business. Sujimoto, founded in 2013, has built luxury projects including Medici in Ikoyi and GiulianoBySujimoto and LucreziaBySujimoto in Banana Island, Lagos. But rising construction costs, inflation and economic uncertainty hit the company hard.

According to Ogundele, Sujimoto restructured its balance sheet and repaid more than ₦40 billion owed to creditors and private lenders. He said the firm completed and handed over Lucrezia to homeowners despite the financial pressure.

The company's corporate profile says Ogundele has more than 12 years of experience in construction and real estate, with over ₦45 billion in property transactions over his career.

He traced his drive to growing up in Agege, Lagos, before working abroad and returning to set up Sujimoto.

Looking ahead, he said the firm is preparing to unveil Isabella de' Medici, a proposed 49-storey luxury hospitality tower in Lagos, which he called its most ambitious project yet. ThisDay reported the plan includes premium suites, a hanging infinity pool and other luxury features.

Ogundele said he believes he has not yet used 10 per cent of his potential, and described his approach as the "Spirit of Possibility."

"1+1 is still 11. It is already too late to fail," he said.

What happens next

The Daily Times Trailblazer Awards were scheduled for Tuesday, November 3. Sujimoto has said it is targeting a debt-free position by January 2027, and the Isabella de' Medici tower is the company's next major test.