For the umpteenth time, business mogul, Dr. Taiwo Olayinka Afolabi has demonstrated that business is to him what breath is to healthy human beings. He has inadvertently and organically grown his business empire and taken a dominant position in several sectors of the Nigerian economy where he has interests.
As the Executive Vice Chairman of Sifax Group, the billionaire businessman has proven his masterful grasp of turning his small company into a multinational conglomerate well invested in the area of maritime, aviation, haulage, logistics, financial services, oil & gas and lately, hospitality.
But at a point, his decision to venture into the hospitality business via the Marriott brand tested his more than two decades credibility as a serial successful entrepreneur.
Spotlight gathered that Afolabi —at a point— lost sleep over the slow pace of work at his proposed 5-Star Marriott Hotel in Ikeja, Lagos. In 2018, he had planned to open the hotel situated in Ikeja GRA, Lagos, four years after the foundation was laid in 2014. With several billions of naira already sunk into setting up the 251-room world-class luxury hotel sitting on a 7,000 square metre area of land, the business mogul was a bit worried that the hotel project was dragging, especially with the news then that a certain banking mogul has also got the franchise to build another Marriot in another upscale part of Lagos. But all that is in the past, as it is obvious Afolabi is now enjoying a great time.
It is gathered that the business tycoon is heaving a sigh of big relief as his dream of executing the first full Marriot franchise in Nigeria has come to fruition. Like he has done in other areas of the Nigerian economy, Afolabi is prepared to take the hospitality industry by storm with the final completion of his sprawling seven-floor gigantic, architectural masterpiece luxury hotel seated across two streets in the ritzy neighborhood of Ikeja GRA.
With the grand opening of the hotel said to have been slated for April, Spotlight gathered that the Ogun State-born Afolabi is keen on bringing his wealth of experience and organizational prudence to bear in securing a firm foothold in the hospitality sector by running the global hotel brand and making Nigerians, and visitors alike, have a taste of what they enjoy in the Western world right here in Lagos.