Business News
Sankore Investments to fund student housing, agribusiness in Lagos and other areas
@SankoreInvests has increased its business portfolio with the introduction of Real Wealth Fund and Sankore Agricultural Fund. Both funds have been created to financially support the capital needs of growth companies in the real estate business and agric market in Nigeria.
Investment company, Sankore, has expanded its business portfolio with a focus on Real Estate and Agriculture. These investment products were created to financially support the capital needs of growth companies in the Real Estate business and Agric market in Nigeria.
During an Investor Gathering, which was covered by Nairametrics, Sankore Investment’s Chief Executive Officer, Titi Odunfa Adeoye said there’s a growing demand for some Agricultural produce by the end product manufacturers, due to its profitability.
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Adeoye also stated that there’s shortage of supply, compared to the demand for specific Real Estates in Nigeria. According to her, Sankore believes investors can take advantage of the rising demand for affordable, yet profitable property development within the country.
Sankore Investor Gathering
Speaking about how the company arrived at the two sectors as being best for creditors to invest in, Adeoye said Sankore understands there’s “a need to offer clients a broad range of assets. And looking at Nigeria at the time (2010), we have already spent some time to think through where the investment opportunities will be.
“And at the time, we thought the best way to think of where to invest should come from where the problems are. What are the problems Nigeria has and how do we solve them?
“So, even as far back as 2010-2011, we were kind of focused, trying to identify these places, and at that time, we came out with the idea that we need to look much more deeper into two specific sectors, and those two are Agriculture and Real Estate.
“We also found there were few other areas to look at, and those are technology and education. These four areas are the key problems we think we need to solve in Nigeria.
“And for us, we are strong believers in the transformative ability of well-deployed investment. And for us, that’s one of the things that drive us. We really believe that investment can grow our country, investors can change us.”
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Sankore Investment Chief Executive Officer Titi Odunfa Adeoye
Focus of Real Wealth Fund: Adeoye said, considering the need and demand in society, the company’s focus for now is streamlined to the following Real Estate.
- Student/Professional housing
- Commerce
According to her, majority of Investment Funds are diverted into luxury apartments and hotels, and that investment direction needs to change due to the poor return on investment from the luxury apartments experienced by High Networth Investors. She said HNIs could instead invest in Student Housing because it has higher yields and demands are high.
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Investment for the student and professional housing will be in some areas of Lagos, with Yaba in focus.
Focus of Sankore Agricultural Fund: The crops that the company intends to disburse interested investors’ funds on are:
- sorghum;
- soya; and
- maize.
Sankore Investment CEO, Adeoye and Afex Commodity Exchange representative at the event
What drives choice of crops: It was explained that these crops were selected because they are easy, liquid, and the cashflow can be monitored end-to-end very easily. Also, the crops are industrial crops with the big buyers.
Nairametrics learnt that in addition to Real Estate, the other sector that was thought to be extremely important to the country’s growth, was Agriculture. Agriculture was selected because of its impact on job creation and the fact that Nigeria still imports majority of the things that are consumed in the country. Sankore is therefore certain that investors can get the worth of their investments if disbursed into these crops business.
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Adeoye explained that Sankore had to partner with 5th Harvest some years back to understand the agric market and the extent of exposure needed because investors are always jittery about investing in agric business.
To ensure sales, partners like Afex Commodity Exchange, an agric business in Nigeria, has a binding agreement with end product manufacturers like beverage companies for the supply of these agricultural produce.
To derive value from investment for investors and derisk investment, Sankore has partnership with companies that are Real Estate-dependent and are deep into the agric business. Some of the companies are Shoprite and Afex Commodity Exchange.
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Corporate Press Releases
Transcorp Hotels launches Aura, an online marketplace for accommodation and experiences
Nigeria’s largest hospitality brand launches a new platform for booking vacation homes, holiday lets, and experiences.
Africa’s leading hospitality brand Transcorp Hotels Plc. has announced the launch of Aura, a new digital platform through which people can book accommodation, restaurants, and experiences.
The new brand, Transcorp’s first in the alternative accommodation segment, is part of the company’s asset-light model, leveraging technology to deliver true hospitality, exciting experiences, and drive shareholder value.
“It’s a new dawn in the hospitality industry! I am thrilled to introduce you to Aura by Transcorp, the digital platform we are using to connect people to quality accommodation, great food, and awesome experiences,” Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Transcorp Hotels Plc., Dupe Olusola said.
“For more than 30 years, Transcorp Hotels Plc has been at the forefront of creating a superior guest experience at our locations. Today, our commitment to innovation has offered us an opportunity to extend this beyond the hotel premises,” Olusola added.
The launch of Aura by Transcorp is one of the most significant developments in the company’s history as it seeks to transform the travel and tourism industry in Africa by focusing on three important components of travel, whether for leisure or business — where you stay, what you eat and how you spend your time. With its people-driven hospitality model, Aura is set to revolutionise travel and help remind Africans of our deep history of hospitality.
Speaking on the launch of Aura, Obong Idiong, Chief Executive Officer at Africa Prudential Plc, Aura’s technology partners, expressed his excitement. “Finding the right accommodation when you travel can be incredibly complex. Options available for the right prices are often limited, and travellers sometimes end up with accommodation that taints the travel experience. Transcorp Hotels Plc has been able to fix that with Aura and we are proud to be associated with them.”
“To ensure topnotch user experience, we built a solution to drive digital transformation through the adoption of shared living spaces for the Aura business. With an advanced search algorithm powered by artificial intelligence, Aura determines the relevance of locations taking into consideration, the customers’ preferences and requirements to meet them at the point of their needs,” Idiong added.
Priscilla Adeboye, a travel enthusiast and early adopter of Aura, said the global pandemic has pushed international travel down her list. “But I still want to be able to take some time off work or spend a weekend away from home with the family. I have found incredible homes on Aura that meet my need for space and privacy.”
Working with thousands of partners across Nigeria and different cities in Africa, Transcorp Hotels Plc. is building the continent’s largest platform for people-driven hospitality. While travellers enjoy the right selections at the best prices on Aura, hosts can also earn a lot of money by receiving guests in their unoccupied homes and sharing the local culture with them.
For travellers who would rather stay in hotels, Aura also has a great selection of some of the best hotels in every city.
With the launch of Aura, Transcorp Hotels Plc. has further cemented its leadership in the hospitality industry and reinforced its commitment to innovation and superior guest experience across different demographics.
Guests and hosts can sign up at aura.transcorphotels.com to start booking or hosting. The service is currently available in Nigeria only, but the company said plans are already in place to expand to major cities in Africa.
Transcorp Hotels Plc is one of Africa’s leading hospitality companies, committed to redefining service standards across the continent while remaining truly and authentically African.
Aura by Transcorp
Aura is Africa’s best platform for connecting travellers with great accommodation, good food, and memorable experiences. The platform is also an avenue for people with unoccupied homes, hotels, restaurants, or different skill sets that may interest others can earn an income by becoming hosts.
