About nineteen months ago, Providus reached out to us to build them a simple bank in the heart of Abeokuta, but in our modus operandi as Sujimoto, simplicity does not exist. So, we set out to design and create what has today become the most luxurious and sophisticated bank branch in the whole of Nigeria.
Built on the integral foundation
of quality over price, we can boldly say that for the first time in history, we
have brought a J.P. Morgan style into
Africa with a touch of Wakanda. This
happened because of our unmatched quality and extreme dedication to going
the extra mile for our esteemed clientele.
However, when you look at the
current economic situation and the head-spinning prices we pay on importation
of our high-quality building materials, any other contractor might try to
compromise and build something really simple because, after all, it's just
Abeokuta and not a major commercial nerve like Lagos, Abuja, Kano, or Port
Harcourt. But based on the fact that we are putting a Sujimoto name on it, and
the unique project was important to me for several reasons, the first of which
is that it was placed on the soil where my beloved mother was born—Ogun state.
The Executive Governor of Ogun State Prince Dapo Abiodun flanked by Alake of Egbaland and other top dignitaries at the just commissioned Providus Bank branch in Abeokuta. |
Secondly, it is a way to express
our entrepreneurial and architectural prowess, especially by seating such a
project in the magnificent capital of entrepreneurship and a state that has
produced the likes of Shokas—the great Ijebu Igbo billionaire, The Bull—Mike
Adenuga, Chief Dr. Olusegun Obasanjo, Sir Kessington Adebutu (Baba Ijebu), the
late President Shonekan, and a host of other billionaires.
It is also a state presently
governed by the best governor of our time, my big brother, friend, and mentor,
His Excellency Prince Dapo Abiodun, and ultimately because of a man who is not
just a banker but also a man who understands the bone pains of entrepreneurship.
Mr. Walter Akpani, a man who answers all entrepreneur pains even before you
place that call. It was extremely important for me not to disappoint these
people, and this is why we went all and above to build a first-of-its-kind Wakanda Luxury Bank branch in Nigeria.
In achieving this great feat,
utmost quality was essential to us as the secret recipe and the core foundation
for which this remarkable masterpiece building sits. We brought onboard 6
expatriates and over 100 hard-working Nigerians, from architects to engineers,
electricians, plumbers, and many other construction professionals, who worked
day and night, crossing all T’s and dotting all I’s in the process of making
sure that we delivered nothing short of the best.
The GMD of Sujimoto Group, Dr. Sijibomi Ogundele with a team of architects during the construction phase of Providus Bank, Abeokuta branch. |
Just as the philosophy and the
femur bone of Ogun State stand on the popularised slogan ‘Omo Ogun Ise Ya’, we took it as a personal challenge and assembled
our team of experts to build a masterpiece of what will become the best of the
best bank building across Nigeria.
For over six months, every weekend,
I journeyed from Lagos to Abeokuta, inspecting the project and ensuring
attention was given in its fullest details to what had been designed as the
blueprint for the best bank building in Nigeria. As I ploughed through the
route during its rehabilitation, I couldn’t help but notice the spirit of
entrepreneurship that gave birth to the Shokas, the Adenugas, and the
Obasanjos. Seeing trays of small businesses along the route, mostly women,
where I will always stop by to patronise them by buying plantains, snails, and
even fresh tubers of yams, while also supporting them in my own little ways.
Every time I visit the gateway
state, I can’t stop but visit the popular Alaga
restaurants not far from Oke Ilewo, which is always packed with over 200
people waiting in line to feast on Amala, Eba, or pounded yam with the sizzling
aroma coming from the goat meat sauce. This is just a business by the corners
of Abeokuta, making sales and creating good job opportunities and impact for
its citizens.
Dr. Ogundele during a weekly inspection trip to Providus Bank in Ogun State. |
At the commissioning of the
Abeokuta branch of Providus Bank, I was most highly humbled as the executive
governor recognised our tenacity as a brand and our extreme commitment to
delivering the highest quality at all times. The Alake of Egbaland, who was
present as the royal father of the day, also noted that the entire building was
a unique piece of design with a super interior finishing that needs to be
replicated in his royal palace.
The Iya Olojas, as well as the
Oloris present, attested that they have never seen such a royal, befitting bank
branch like this before. “Aje ku Ikale”
for a unique bank designed to have a superb blend of home feel and a futuristic
banking system.
Not surprised that the building
came up well, this is a testament to the countless sleepless nights from the
entire Sujimoto team, while ensuring the height of excellence must be delivered
across all the projects we lay our hands on as a brand.
A team of experts coordinating with architects to ensure checks and balances are made at the Providus Bank, Abeokuta. |
Totally redefining brick-and
mortar banking into a more global and sophisticated banking system would never
have happened if we had not decided to pick only the best materials for this
project. From the foundation to the chandelier, lights designed by Zaha Hadid,
to the sanitary ware by Noken, one of the unique and best collections by
Porcelanosa, we didn’t use 60 by 60; we went all the way to purchase huge tiles
taller than myself; our triple-A porcelain tiles were 1.8 diameter; imported
cotton walls with double-glazed glass; and we installed a one-of-a-kind
aluminium composite panel (ACP façade) system, making the entire architecture
absolutely marvellous.
“I was very proud that we stood
on integrity and quality, and we are very happy to have delivered a
first-of-its-kind banking structure in Nigeria”.
A cross-section of the unique ACP façade system installed on the Providus bank building. |
A drone shot of Providus Bank, Abeokuta standing in its full glory. |
This also goes in line with
saying that whatever you are doing, whether you are an artisan or a business
owner, the spirit of excellence and quality must at all times remain the scale
of balance and measurement for any trade. My mother, who is the mother of all
entrepreneurs from Ijebu Igbo, has
taught me the bedrock of quality and integrity since I was a child.
There are two types of pain: the
pain of regret and the pain of discipline. As a brand, we have come to terms
with the pain of discipline, saying 'No' to mediocrity and sticking to quality.
Today, nobody will tell you that the building isn’t one of the best buildings
in Ogun State and, as a fact, the best bank branch structure in the whole of
Nigeria.
Upon the commissioning of what
has today become the talk of the town project and a future-forward
Wakanda-themed bank design, I proceeded on a courtesy call to my very yuppy and
ever-supportive governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, where we further discussed the
terrain of tenacity and the quest for excellence, which comes as the dividend
paid for exceptional work without compromise.
Dr. Sijibomi Ogundele during a courtesy call to the executive governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun |
We have received several requests
to build for other brands across the nation. As a brand, we would decide maybe
one or two more, but the vision has to be convincing and the price has to be
befitting for a Sujimoto Standard, as any project less than N5 billion, we
won’t touch.”
“On the list of priorities of
this project, quality was number 1, 2 and 3. The cost of the building is not as
important as the value of it,”
This
is a message to my generation and to every entrepreneur out there: whatever you
do, never overestimate the present and underestimate the future, and the
pursuit of excellence must be at the foundation of everything you do because
whatever you do today will stand by you tomorrow. So, if your foundation has
been built on the pillar of mediocrity, rest assured that in the next 2 years,
20 years, or 200 years, it will catch up to you.
Dr.
Sijibomi Ogundele is the Managing Director of Sujimoto Group, the Czar of
Luxury Real Estate Development, and the mastermind developer behind the
renowned Giuliano. Our other audacious projects, such as the most sophisticated
building in Banana Island, LucreziaBySujimoto, the grandiose Sujimoto Twin
Tower, the tallest twin towers in Africa; the regal Queen Amina by Sujimoto, a
monument to royal affluence; the magnificent high-rise LeonardoBySujimoto;
Nigeria’s No. 1 most affordable luxury housing, ÃŒlú Titun, and Africa’s most
exclusive waterfront townhouses, GiovanniBySujimoto, some of which have etched
an indelible imprint on Nigeria’s skylines, a testament to their unrivalled
mastery of modern day engineering.
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