Let me start by establishing that while the concept of leadership has evolved to the point where its features are separated into a simpler system for anyone to learn, not so many have done so, talk less of being referred to as a leader, which confirms my position that perhaps leaders are born not made.
Tony Kolawole is the epitome of this; a leader who was ordained from heaven, and it is no wonder why he leads the frontiers of development in Lagos’s Real Estate.
Born in the slums of Ajegunle, Tony’s story defies logical explanation. It is one of an unprecedented dream meeting reality.
Aspire, as he is fondly called by associates, friends & family, and mentees went from building a system that created communications solutions for telecommunication brands such as 9mobile and Airtel to building Africa’s largest real estate brokerage firm—Billionaire Realtors Group—a firm of over 75,000 professional realtors.
This is complemented by his real-estate developmental acumen, an art inherent in his portfolio as the Chief Executive Officer of Tribitat Real Estate, which he leads alongside Gbenga Adeleke and Emmanuel Abikoye.
Having highlighted this, readers would assume that this is what distinguishes the man from his peers, but as they would soon find out, it is beyond that.
Before then, a quick, short bio.
Tony Aspire Kolawole is a seasoned real estate developer with key core competence in real estate marketing, commercial real estate, real estate advisory and strategy as well as property development and investment.
A graduate of Business Administration from Lagos State University, Aspire is equipped with the know-how of business strategy, sales and negotiations and digital strategy for business.
Before venturing into real estate, he ran a telecom firm that created communication solutions for telco brands such as 9mobile and Airtel.
As a real estate developer, he pioneered the first and the largest real estate brokerage firm that is partnered with over 100 successful real estate companies.
This is not without his rich portfolio of novel housing solutions, which he garnered as the CEO of Tribitat Real Estate, a leading real estate company in Nigeria, and Aspire Heights.
In his free days, Aspire, an avid reader of all subject matters, likes to gather young professionals in the industry to equip them with the knowledge that helped him reach the stage, he currently, is.
A keen observer of his life may quickly see this footprint in BRG, which now boasts the biggest learning ecosystem for real estate professionals in Nigeria.
Beyond this, Tony is a builder of men, an unrelenting leader who would stop at nothing to empower his colleagues, and individuals under his tutelage.
As he would say, “We rise by lifting others,” and I am an exemplar of this, having enjoyed his unlimited guidance.
What Gidi Real Estate has achieved in a short time is a signpost of his service, which is not just to all of us at Gidi, but to the industry at large.
Perhaps this man’s greatness is his unwavering desire to replicate his personal and professional success in Lagos and Nigeria’s real estate, contributing significantly to resolving the industry’s many problems and encouraging fair play by facilitating government and private partnerships.
This is evident in his frequent engagement with the stakeholders of the industry, especially the government which serves an important role in mediating the landowners-developers-clients relationship.
As I come to the end of this piece, I wish to restate my confidence in Tony Aspire’s leadership. I look forward to him answering the call to serve the industry whenever mandated, for progress and development.
Progress and development is a function of good management,
And good management is a function of leadership,
Therefore leadership should be left in the care of tested individuals such as Tony Aspire.