•Images above: Dr Tunde Adeyemo & Chief Olawale Olaleye, cover photo: Chief Olawale Olaleye & Ex – President Olusegun Obasanjo.
An estimated half a billion dollar investment is coming to Ogun State, particularly Abeokuta, the state capital, next year to boost income, create jobs and further drive the socioeconomic fortune of the Egba people to the next level.
Cumulatively, the investment is expected to come from Nigerians living in Canada, United States, Europe and other parts of the world who are eager to lay solid foundation back home by way of investment preparatory to their “Japada.”
And the vehicle to drive the investment is ‘Canada Trade Mission 2024,’ a trade show and exhibitions slated for next year in Canada. It is an initiative of the Solteque Group which is aimed at bringing Nigerians in Diaspora together for a sensitization fair on the opportunities available for them to explore back home in real estate sector, Adire and other local fabrics business that are synonymous with the Egbas of Ogun State.
The promoter of the planned 5 – day event in Canada, Chief Olawale Olaleye, who disclosed this to The Daily Crucible, said it has already received the blessing of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, stressing that his team would also pay visit soon to the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, the Osile of Oke – Ona Egba, Oba Adedapo Tejuosho, and other sectional monarchs to intimate them about the project and solicit their support and royal blessings.
Chief Olaleye who is the CEO of Solteque Group and the Bobawoga of Orile Itesi, Egbaland, said that the investment drive is targeting the real estate sector as well as the Adire, Isanyan, Aso Oke and other local fabrics business.
According to him, the Canada Trade Mission ’24 will feature talk show where notable practitioners in real estate like the CEO of Pelican Valley Nigeria Limited, Dr. Babatunde Adeyemo, will educate participants on how to take advantage of the real estate investment back home.
“We are looking at a project that is set to bring about a quarter to half a billion dollar investments into Ogun State, particularly Abeokuta from investors and other participants that are going to channel their resources back home.
“It is going to be a loaded event and is probably going to be a 5 – day event, because we planned for tourists attraction, when people come into the country, we take them around for site seeing perhaps it will be the event for the last day. It is going to be a trade show, products exhibitions, talk show where notable practitioners in real estate like the CEO of Pelican Valley Nigeria Limited will educate people on how to take advantage of real estate investment.
“In anticipation of the benefits that this programme stand to offer, we have planned to identify with the sons and daughters of the soil. We went to see former President Olusegun Obasanjo to receive his blessings that the project is coming to Ogun State, Abeokuta in particular which will showcase our people in diaspora. Baba Obasanjo was very happy and we are also planning to visit our Royal Fathers which we have penciled down for next week. We will pay visit to the Alake of Egbaland, Osile of Oke – Oba Egba and others.
“The programme titled, ‘Canada Trade Mission 2024’ is borne out of the idea of trying to let our people in diaspora see the opportunity that are in real estate at home. The Real Estate is primarily what Solteque Group planned to do. And Solteque Group being a new company in Canada, we tested our strength and said let’s see if we could invite people to come over. Eventually as God would have and He being on our side, Dr. Babatunde Adeyemo and one other woman who is a branch manager in Wema bank are the first set of people that Canada issued Visa under the platform of the then programme which we were to bring them in for but because of some delays in the processing not due to us but with the Embassy, the Visa came late and the event had passed and we have no choice than to represent and rebrand the programme.
“This time around, our people would say while we are trying to do something small, it turned out that we doing something elaborate not only in real estate but also all encompassing to include something to bring in traders who are much more in traditional, the people in Adire business, Isanyan people, the Aso Oke people and the real estate. All these are in preparation for our people to see and explore the opportunities that are back home and for people here at home to also see the opportunities that are in diaspora to make more money like Adire that is being sold for N5,000k, they can sell it for $100 USD depending on how you brand your products. These are some of the opportunities we are trying to let someone of our local traders see in foreign lands and to let our people in diaspora see the opportunities that are also available back home in terms of real estate products,” Chief Olaleye said.
Corroborating the Bobawoga, the CEO of Pelican Valley, Dr. Babatunde Adeyemo, who vouched for the integrity of Chief Olaleye and the planned trade show, said the foremost real estate firm is fully prepared for the event to help Nigerians living abroad benefits from the firm’s many projects.
The multi award winning Realtor also noted that the Pelican Valley products are specifically packaged for Nigerians in Diaspora, assuring that he would personally attend the ‘Canada Trade Mission 2024’ to appropriately guide the diasporas eager to Japada and invest their hard earned savings/earnings lest they fall into wrong hands and lose their money.
He said, “I’m an anti – corruption Ambassador and have been practicing real estate for the past 12 years. It is a rare privilege partnering with Chief Olawale Olaleye, the Bobawoga. I got to know him as an investor, he personally invested in our project, Pelican Valley project. He is one of the over 100 Nigerians in Canada that have invested in our project, his integrity fished him out, I’m a reserved person I don’t roll with people that will dent my integrity and image. I have critically studied him, and realised that he is a man of his word. I’m ready to throw in my hart at whatever he is doing.
“So, I see Canada Trade Mission 2024 as an opportunity. About a year ago when he invited me, I first of all thought he was part of those that makes mouth but after getting my Visa Without collecting a dime from me I began to take a second look at the thing, although I ‘m not always interested in traveling out, I don’t like it. We have successfully earnersed the international real estate world without stepping out of Nigeria, but he has been using his love to persuade me to help people and contribute to humanity. It is not about going there to make money but to help people of like -minds, people of his age willing to japada successfully.
“You know we are used to hearing Japa, now we are hearing Japada. When you Japa and you achieved your dreams there, there is need for you to also Japada. So, Bobawoga is actually an architect of Japada, he is helping those that want to Japada, to make things easy for them to Japada because I know that it is not that easy for you to come back home because there are many conditions attached to coming back.
“You must have a solid base. What are you coming back to do? You are getting old already and the weather is not friendly to you anymore. You can’t just leave that place in a hurry. You have so many dependants there, you have to settle them. Coming down here, you need to answer the questions of, ‘ what are you coming here to do?’ Which investment have you made? So, he is trying to help those that are ripe to Japada, to make solid investment back home. I have to be there to talk to them and give advice so that when they are coming back, they will not fall into wrongs hands posing as real estate players. You see, the preys of these scammers are the diasporas eager to Japada, who had worked in the snow and want to invest their hard earned savings/earnings in Nigeria. They are the preys of the fraudsters. I’m going there personally to be part of the discussants and to let people know the value of the real estate investment and how to start early before they eventually Japada. So, it is my passion and I’m really happy to be part of this development.”
“In fact, our products are meant for them. I know by the time I will be leaving Canada, Babawoga will be given a Chieftaincy title in Canada by his people because the value of the investment expected cannot be overemphasized, once they pay, they are getting their allocation almost immediately. It is not case of someone waiting for months or years to get allocation. We have done out beacon sheet and it is government approved. We have Pelican Greenish Acres Farm Estate for them to keep their heart and soul together, we have Pelican Ecostay Apartments where we build houses for them. You can buy ready – made houses from us so that you don’t fall preys to wrong hands and lose your money. We are fully prepared to meet demands.”
