Ayobami Akindipe: We Still Provide Quality, Affordable Homes Despite Challenging Economic Times

Bennett Oghifo

The founder and Chief Executive Officer of Ace Real Estate Development Limited, Ayobami Akindipe, has said his company would stick to their primary goal of providing quality, affordable luxury homes to many Nigerians, despite the challenging economic times.

Akindipe said his original plan when he set up his company was to provide great homes for Nigerians, a vision that is still alive, he said.

In 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ayobami established and institutionalized Ace Real Estate Development Limited. Over the past four years, the company has continuously evolved, expanding from predominantly selling land to other aspects of real estate development, including housing provision, construction, and general real estate advisory and management services.

At just four years of establishment, Ayobami’s Ace Real Estate, aside from numerous land allocations in various sites, is on the verge of delivering three upscale homes across Lagos—Number 31, 78 Residence, the newest addition, Two3Four Residence and a massive project coming soon in Orange Island. All these luxurious real estate developments are located in the upscale parts of Lagos, including Lekki Phase 1, Ikate and Victoria Garden City.

In the early days of Ace Real Estate, through uprightness and commitment to client satisfaction, Ayobami led the team to deliver Ace City, Vision City, Crystal City, Prime City, Domaine City, and many more.

Ayobami’s vision goes beyond just selling land and beautiful homes. It encompasses the entire ecosystem of the real estate sector, leading to the launch of Ace Academy in 2022. The academy is charged with the responsibility of training youths to embrace various entrepreneurial opportunities in the real estate industry. After only two years since its inception, Ace Academy has trained over 20,000 Nigerians for free and certified them, also providing them with the prerequisite skills to become entrepreneurs or create alternative income streams.

The story of Ayobami Akindipe, born in Lagos 27 years ago, is one of resilience and determination. His journey is marked by numerous challenges, yet he has turned these challenges into opportunities. Ayobami had to drop out of school because he couldn’t afford it. Before and after then, he has taken on various jobs to survive and strive for something greater. At just 8 years old, he became a photographer when someone handed him a brand-new digital camera. He used it on the streets, making petty cash by taking pictures of people and printing them out. By age 13, he was a bricklayer, and at 15, he returned to photography and also became a filmmaker. In his teens, he also became a graphics designer, sold drinks on the streets, and even sold yam flour in markets.

Ayobami has done nearly everything one can think of as a young man trying to survive and pursue something meaningful. Real estate came to him as a vision from God after he had done so many things and needed direction. Starting his business was incredibly tough, especially when it came to raising capital. But through sheer determination, he managed to push through, and he has kept going no matter what obstacles he faced.

Across Lagos, particularly, and parts of Abuja, Ayobami has continued to leave credible real estate landmarks that have not only beautified the skylines of these cities but also brought tranquility to satisfied investors.

Born to the Akindipe family of Ondo State in southwest Nigeria in 1997, Ayobami received his primary and secondary education in Lagos before studying Law at Kogi State University. Since then, he has vigorously pursued his passion in the real estate industry, yielding outstanding results and providing a platform for youth development and empowerment.

Recently, in acknowledgment of his numerous achievements in the real estate industry, Ayobami received the Young Entrepreneur of the Year award at the Young Entrepreneurs International Summit in Lagos. In addition, a few years ago, Ayobami received other accolades, including the ECOWAS Youth Council, Nelson Mandela Leadership Award of Excellence and Integrity, the Icon of Societal Transformation by the National Association of University Students, the Golden Role Model Award by the Nigeria Youth Advocacy for Good Governance Initiative, among others.

Ayobami, the young king ruling Nigeria’s real estate industry at just 27 years old, who has created about 54 direct jobs and over 2,000 indirect jobs, keeps building.