Tajudeen Owoyemi is a quintessential business visionary whose example of overcoming adversity in lavish inns across Lagos is extraordinary. With north of 45 years in the structure and development industry, his experience is really extraordinary. Be that as it may, the foundation of Avalon Intercontinental Nigeria Limited was just an introduction to Owoyemi's rewarding introduction to the cordiality business. With negligible training, clarified vision, difficult work and unflinching commitment to his vocation, Owoyemi beat all chances to turn into a major part in friendliness. The Kwara-conceived industry mogul recounts to Funke Olaode his story, his life and his leap forwards.
Tajudeen Owoyemi's story is the stuff of legends; the child of a petty trader who rose to the zenith of his vocation, first in development, and later accommodation. With insignificant schooling and four-year preparing as a handyman, Owoyemi set heads spinning to become one of the most affluent lavish inn proprietors in Nigeria. He laid out Avalon Intercontinental Nigeria Limited organization in the wake of keep progress in the development area. The send off of Avalon birthed the First Protea Hotel in Nigeria in the mid 2000s.
As he strolled in discreetly into his comfortable office situated in Ikoyi, Lagos on a new Tuesday evening, there were no airs about him. He wears straightforwardness like a glove.
"That is an impression of who I am. I love to carry on with a peaceful life and I could do without paparazzi openness. That is the way God has made me from the beginning and that is the means by which I have carried on with my life," he said.
Brought into the world on April 16, 1956, in Offa, Kwara State where he had his initial life, his folks moved to Ghana when he was two years of age and left him with his grandma. Owoyemi found his enterprising abilities during that period. His enthusiasm for progress was likewise lighted.
"I was raised by an insignificant broker who imparted the soul of difficult work in me. I recollect after school I would peddle 'Ekuru' for my grandma. Furthermore, I used to go to the building locales with a gathering of companions to help with conveying sand what not. Back then, we would get sand from the stream and stack it together to a specific level before we got compensated. It was our own little commitment to our families. The actual battle went on till I completed auxiliary school and moved to Kaduna."
Having endured the hardship of life battling for himself till he completed optional school, Owoyemi set off to track down a reason throughout everyday life. At 18, he moved to Kaduna looking for his motivation.
"I needed to go to class however there was no cash. In Kaduna, I took in an exchange. I'm a craftsman who was prepared as a handyman. Furthermore, I learnt it for quite a long time. From that point, I went to Kaduna Polytechnic where I did a parttime report in Civil Engineering. I will do plumbing in the first part of the day and go to night classes. I did that for quite some time and acquired a National Diploma in Civil Engineering."
With his experience as a young fellow helping at a building site and his investigations as a structural specialist, Owoyemi fostered an enthusiasm for building. He turned out to be capable to the point that he laid out his organization at age 22 of every 1978.
"We began contract occupations around 1979 when Alhaji Shehu Shagari came into power. We had a many individuals, a great deal of companions who gave us their ventures to administer in light of the trust they had in us. We weren't excessively aggressive as an organization. We focused on our solidarity and the work began developing."
With more than 45 years in the structure and development industry, Owoyemi's experience is really outstanding, having taken care of ventures that included official, modern and business structures dissipated all around the country. Owoyemi never thought back as he ultimately settled his most memorable organization, Tajudeen Owoyemi and Co Ltd (TOCL), an undeniable Engineering Company that took part in Civil and Mechanical Engineering contracts. TOCL was to later appreciate monstrous support from tip top public establishments like Command and Staff College Jaji, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC) and a few other Federal Government Agencies and Parastatals.
"We did such countless agreements. The greatest task we began then was in Staff College in Jaji, Kaduna. We did the Nigerian Army of School Infantry. We did the rebuilding, recreation of the Nigerian Army School of Infantry head office in Jaji. It was around 1991 we made it happen and it was extremely fruitful," he reviewed.
Having set up a good foundation for himself as a development head honcho working from the north, Owoyemi chose to spread his appendages toward the west.
"I have never been to Lagos in my life until 1985 when General Babangida came to control. It was my very first time in Lagos. Furthermore, what carried me to Lagos? It was this agreement work, building development. The late Haladu, a General from Kano, welcomed me to Lagos. He said they needed to fabricate Police sleeping shelter for Nigerian Ports, they had their executive gathering and they supported it and they believed that me should get it done. So he sent for me from Kaduna. He demanded that I should come to Lagos right away. That was the manner by which we got the primary flight coming to Lagos. I presently figured out that it was another foundation where when you go about your business sufficiently you get compensated. That was the means by which I began coming to Lagos continually before I and the family at long last moved in 1993."
With surprising accomplishment with TOCL, Owoyemi, the quintessential business person became relentless as he then, at that point, wandered into the foundation of many organizations either as a sole advertiser or in a joint effort with others in property, banking, accommodation, strong mineral, sea business and numerous others. He has in more than one way demonstrated the way that achievement and believability are not normally presented, but instead procured through center and unfaltering devotion to the quest for one's picked cause or try.
The foundation of Avalon Intercontinental Nigeria Limited was an introduction to Owoyemi's effective introduction to the neighborliness business starting with the foundation of the Avalon Hotel sited in his old neighborhood in Offa in spite of the generally low support in the town. The thought was to carry more individuals to the area and help with hurrying up the pace of urbanization and commercialization of Offa town and Kwara State likewise.
