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| Olawale Ayilara, CEO, Landwey Investment Limited |
Olawale Ayilara, our
readers all over the world will be happy to know your background.
I was
born and raised in Abeokuta within an average environment. As one of eight
children, I had an average learning experience from primary, secondary and
university education. My father was an engineer and my mother, a businesswoman
and they ensured that we all had basic education. The value of integrity was
ingrained in us from a young age and it stuck.
What childhood experience
shaped who you have become today?
Everything
in the past pointed to the present. As far back as secondary school, I realised
early enough that I was not cut out for the 9-5 white collar job because I have
a restless spirit. I went ahead to study Petroleum
and Petrochemical Sciences because it was what was expected of me. The
basic professional field that I was exposed to was that of the legal,
accounting, medical and engineering fields and naturally, I towed the line because
I could not clearly define and state what I wanted.
At
that age, I had no idea what being an entrepreneur was about and the term,
Businessman, did not appeal to my parents. My first stint in entrepreneurship
was a coaching centre in Abeokuta, Ogun State which I ran even while I was a
student myself. The coaching center wasn’t as successful as I had hoped but it
offered me some beginner lessons in starting and running a business. Then I
forayed into music when I moved to Lagos to try to study for my O’Levels by
starting a musical band, which was also unsuccessful.
Eventually,
I got admission into the university and I put my new found skill in
entrepreneurship to work. I started and ran one of the biggest organisations on
campus at the time called Beyond School
Initiative, a vocational training program which trained over 3,600
students. This was my first successful project as an entrepreneur. Once I had a
taste of success, there was no turning back. Starting and running businesses
became my turf and all I had to do was to build more capacity. I always
believed that opportunities would come to those who were most prepared, so I
put in the hard work even when no one noticed.
What were some of the
challenges you faced growing up?
Growing
up, I saw the struggle the youths around me faced in trying to get the
white-collar job, so I had said to myself I was going to venture into
entrepreneurship and be successful. I ventured into entrepreneurship because of
a desire to be more and do more. I was dissatisfied with my financial state at
the time and wanted to experience financial freedom while providing
opportunities to create new jobs. This was further cemented by my absolute disinterest
in the regular 9-5 job (which wasn’t even promised as several college graduates
around me couldn’t even secure one.)
What was the inspiration
behind your choice of profession?
Consulting
for a company who operated within the real estate sector years back made me see
the lapses in the industry. Yes, lapses such as trustworthiness, government issues and acquiring legitimate land
documents. These are the problems Landwey
Investment Limited solves. My ability to see an opportunity to solve a
problem is what birthed Landwey Investment Limited.
What does your company(s)
really do and what milestones have you achieved so far?
We are
one of the fastest-growing real estate investment companies who create
opportunities for corporates and individuals in Nigeria’s Real Estate Sector
within the commercial, retail and residential property segment and provide real
estate advisory services. We have one of the biggest asset base in the Nigerian
Real Estate sector and are constantly innovating and putting structures in place
to facilitate our clients in the purchase of property. We initiated WEYMONEY to facilitate clients’ access
to funds. We have gone into several partnerships, one of which is WEYVEST, the Landwey Investment Ltd and
PiggyVest (an online savings and
investment platform) partnership. This partnership would help to bridge the
existing gap in the housing deficit in the country and accessibility especially
among the low- and middle-income earners. We have also won real estate
Excellence Awards. These are some of many milestones we have achieved thus far.
You are young and
successful. How did you come this far within a short period?
I
stayed relentless! The company was founded on trust and integrity, which is a
major key factor.
In 2018, you were listed in
the Forbes Africa under30 class of CEOs. How was the experience for you?
It was
an amazing feeling. Meeting other young entrepreneurs from Africa, learning
from entrepreneurs from different climes and business environments was an
experiential and wonderful experience.
You recently held a real
estate event in Dubai. What was the purpose of the event and what did it
accomplish?
Our
Annual Realtors mid-year conference in Dubai was set to discuss Real Estate
Industry Trends and Business Insights. The event is an annual conference being
organized as a medium for continued development for our realtors, in sales and
in the real estate profession. The realtors were enlightened on how to get
their businesses ready for the next disruption and how to discover their most
valuable market opportunities.
What were some of the
challenges you faced in real estate business and how did you overcome them?
Landwey
started with zero capital and less than 12 staff. My major challenge was
raising the funds I needed to acquire the first property. The funds never came
and the possibility of starting the company was slim. However, I plowed on and
got the owners to buy into my intergrity and the Landwey dream, to trust me
with their property without an initial financial commitment. Today we have over
10 projects within the space of two years. Our staff strength has grown to 40
and no loan till date.
What would you say was the
most important key to your success?
The
continuous strive for excellence.
Who is your mentor and why?
What role has mentorship played in your success?
I am
inspired by people who have run successful businesses for 30 years and over. I
also have role models, some of which are Aliko Dangote and Femi Otedola to
mention a few. The Steadfastness that successful business people have, enabling
them to stand the test of time in a competitive and challenging business
environment motivates me.
What are your guiding
principles?
Excellence,
commitment, tenacity, and hard-work
Why do you think Nigerian
entrepreneurs are not doing well and how can they improve?
Nigerian
entrepreneurs need to put more effort into research and ensure quality services
are rendered which meet globally acceptable standards.
What would be your advice
to upcoming entrepreneurs hoping to be successful like you?
Be
highly committed and tenacious, no matter how many times you fail, rise
immediately and don’t give up. (Vanguard)
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