By Tony Manuaka
Chief Frank Okafor is a serial entrepreneur in many sectors of the economy. He has over the past twenty years, made remarkable progress in the hospitality industry as well as real estate business. In 2019, he was elected President of Diamond Fitness Club. He is the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Marcopolo Properties and Marcopolo Hotels and Suits in Lagos. Today, he runs a multi-million naira business empire.
Born into an average family in Ojoto, Anambra State, Okafor attributes his success in business to God’s grace and hard work. As a young man, he left his family business, which he joined as a young school leaver in Onitsha and relocated to Lagos to begin a new life as an entrepreneur on a low scale.
From small scale trading in Idumota, Lagos where he traded on electronics, attached to his friends, Okafor began to expand his business frontiers by travelling to neighboring Cotonou and Ghana by road.
It was while trading along this route that he made enough money to begin business travels to Dubai. His business travels also took him to Hong Kong and China. In collaboration with his friends, numbering up to 10, Okafor began to make large scale importation of goods from those Asian countries.
For Okafor, being a successful businessman was an idea, conceived early in life. He began his exploits in business as an importer of various goods. As time went by, Okafor began to veer into other businesses. He took special interest in ensuring that his contemporaries who could not afford to own houses had roofs over their heads. That was the beginning of the manifestation of his interest in real estate business.
Today, his Marcopolo Properties Limited specializes in building luxury and modern residential homes. The company stands out as a real estate company that customizes orders from clients.
It is credited with the building of Cruze Gardens, one of the best architectural masterpieces in Lekki, Lagos which provide breathtaking serenity, tastefully designed to give value for money.
His real estate business assembles a rare team of architects, highly skilled at maximizing development site’s potential. In line with his vision, Marcopolo Properties develops houses for different classes – low, medium and high individual with Lagos, the commercial nerve centre of Nigeria as a primary area of focus.
Aside from his successful real estate and hospitality business, Okafor’s Marcopolo Group of companies also produces a brand of diaper that is a market leader.