From Crisis To Clarity: Sujimoto Founder Breaks Silence On 2025 Economic Shock

In a candid and reflective message that has stirred conversations across the business community, Dr. Sijibomi Ogundele, the founder and GMD of Sujimoto Holdings, has opened up about the devastating impact of Nigeria’s 2025 economic turbulence—describing it as the most challenging season of his life and the closest his real estate empire has ever come to collapse.

The year 2025 arrived with a seismic shift in Nigeria’s economic landscape. The unification of the currency, one of the most far-reaching monetary reforms in recent history, sent immediate and sweeping tremors through every sector. For many businesses, it was a brutal blow. For Ogundele, it was nearly fatal.

In a personal reflection shared on his X handle, he recounted how the tightening economic environment destabilised even his most robust real estate projects. Massive developments—among them the 37-storey tower, the $220 million Leonardo, and the ambitious 69-storey Sujimoto Tower—suddenly entered uncertain territory as costs spiralled and liquidity evaporated.

“The shock shook every corner of our nation,” he wrote. “My business, built on years of vision and sweat, teetered on the edge of collapse.”

For the first time in his career, Dr. Ogundele admitted he considered stepping away from the industry he had painstakingly built a legacy in. He briefly contemplated cancelling some of the most iconic projects ever conceived by a Nigerian private developer. The thought of leaving real estate—even temporarily—forced him into deep introspection.

But reflection led to revelation.

“The problem was never real estate; it was the economic environment of our nation,” he said. “Adversity is not a signal to retreat—it is a test of resolve.”

The clarity he found rekindled the fire that built Sujimoto into a household name in African luxury real estate. His company is known for its daring execution and architectural ambition—qualities that once enabled it to raise a 15-floor building in just four and a half months, a national record.

One of his hardest-hit projects became a powerful symbol of perseverance. LucreziaBySujimoto, designed as a two-year luxury development, dragged on for more than four years under the weight of economic headwinds. Many doubted it would ever be completed.

Yet today, the project is ready for opening—and is already being hailed as one of the most luxurious residential developments not only in Nigeria, but across Africa.

“It stands as proof that resilience, patience, and unwavering commitment yield results,” Ogundele said.

With this triumph, the Sujimoto boss declared that he is not stepping back. Instead, he is scaling up.

“To the naysayers who believed Sujimoto was finished: we are here, we are rising, and we are returning stronger than ever,” he wrote in a statement filled with renewed conviction.

He confirmed that the Leonardo and the 69-storey Sujimoto Tower remain firmly on the company’s agenda. Far from shelving them, the economic shock appears to have reinforced his determination to bring them to life.

For many Nigerians still grappling with the harsh realities of the year’s monetary reforms, Ogundele’s story mirrors a national sentiment: battered but unbroken. His message has resonated widely because it captures what countless business owners have felt—fear, uncertainty, and the fight to reclaim stability.

What emerges is a portrait of a man who stared down the collapse of his life’s work and emerged with sharper vision.

“Together, we shall rebuild—stronger, ambitious, and more audacious than before,” he declared.

For Sujimoto Holdings, the storm of 2025 may have been fierce. But for its founder, it has become the catalyst for a new era of ambition—one built not on comfort, but on the conviction that Nigeria’s challenges cannot extinguish the dreams of those determined to rise.