Conceiving an idea is only the first and easiest step of any business. Most successful businessmen and women will tell you that real work starts when you have to implement those ideas to become a reality. This is where most people give up, but not our cover personality for this issue.
Paul Onwuanibe, CEO of Landmark who was Born in the UK to diplomat parents conceived his idea and did not back down from that moment. What’s interesting about his interview is that he agrees that Nigeria is not the only country with many problems, yet all of those did not deter him at the beginning stages, and to date, he is going strong. Armed with his education, experience and some investors, he forged ahead with his dream of creating a live, work, play community that wasn’t just for Nigerians but the world as a whole; The LandmarkVillage. Onwuanibe is also known for his work in the real estate sector, juggling over five hundred clients in five countries, and what’s fascinating is he is not afraid to give credit to his team. This much he did in this interview, ”I have a team of incredible people around me that deserve the same if not more praise than I receive.
They’re the people that keep the lights on at the end of each day…” But it’s not only formal work for Paul Onwuanibe. The company also plays their part in community development by fixing roads, mentorship programs, etc. Delve into this awe-inspiring interview, or what you might end up calling the ultimate guide to run a successful tourism and real estate business anywhere in the world.

Tell us briefly about your background. How did you imagine with your experience you could pull off a “Landmark” project.

My name is Paul Onwuanibe, I was born in the UK to diplomat Nigerian parents. My real-life journey began when I was sent off to boarding school in Lagos at age 10. While I gained my closest friends there, I also developed a strong passion for drawing, particularly drawing buildings and further honed my skills in UNN while studying architecture. I went back to Europe for further professional studies and gained valid life and business lessons working with Mark Dixon at Regus. These experiences have all led to the results that you see today. Seasoned Entrepreneurs are not born, they’re made.

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LANDMARK IS IN AFRICA, FOR AFRICA, BY AFRICANS AND THAT IS NOT BY CHANCE. THE GOAL IS TO CREATE AN ECOSYSTEM WITH BEST-INCLASS EXPERIENCES THAT CAN MATCH UP ON A GLOBAL SCALE AND TO REPLICATE THAT MODEL IN OTHER AFRICAN CITIES, STARTING FROM LAGOS- NIGERIA.

Let’s talk about how you started this huge project. What inspired it?

I was young, designing serviced offices in Europe, I wanted to make a huge mark, solve a problem and create something revolutionary that mattered. That’s when I decided that the serviced office business would have an important impact in Africa. On a visit however, I noticed that Nigeria had its own set of issues like every other country, such as lack of infrastructure, insecurity, among other things. You can say the greatest threat to our society is thinking someone else will save it. So I embraced the challenge and took a helicopter trip across Lagos and discovered this site where Landmark now provides a premium one-stop destination for all who require such a haven in the midst of the city’s hustle & bustle.

Let’s talk about how you started this huge project. What inspired it?It’s a community of its own; work, play, live. Has it lived up to your expectations?

Yes, our mixed-use development model works. It meets not just mine, but the expectations of all the people who visit our ecosystem. Our goal has always been to get people into the ecosystem, to spend as much time having a great time here as they want, and leave with the desire to tell a friend about their experience. That is how it’s become the fastest growing business leisure lifestyle destination in Africa. And still growing with many legacy projects in the pipeline.

Nigerians don’t necessarily take time to save for a holiday. This could be positive or negative in terms of spontaneity. Do you find people booking staycations more than vacations?

The pandemic presented an opportunity where people had started to look at staycations more which is essentially domestic tourism. Furthermore, as lockdown conditions have eased up, we are seeing a return to pre-covid desires to experiences. Landmark is a platform where Nigerians and international travellers can and have had memorable experiences and we aim to keep delivering innovative experiences over time. For many who come through our ecosystem on holidays; the service, the ambience, the people, the experiences make them feel like spending just one more day, one more hour, or just one more minute… That is real spontaneity, and for us, it is positive.

How do you hope to promote Nigeria as a tourist attraction with Landmark? Nigerians would rather go out of the country on holidays…

Most people travel for the purpose of having new experiences. At Landmark we are constantly pushing boundaries of the norm, providing new and innovative experiences for all. You cannot visit Landmark today and meet it exactly the same after one year. We are constantly growing, constantly developing. Excellence is a continuous journey, and we are going through every bit of it, with and for our citizens.

Do you spend more time vacationing here than abroad?

Landmark is in Africa, For Africa, by Africans and that is not by chance. The goal is to create an ecosystem with best-in-class experiences that can match up on a global scale and to replicate that model in other African cities, starting from Lagos- Nigeria. Someday we want to hear people say, “Home or abroad, Landmark is the best”. Investing in this must have cost a fortune. How were you able to secure the capital? Real estate business is not cheap and its important to get a team of people who believe in the vision to make it happen. Real estate is a long term gain which means the investors that come together have to have the stomach to put huge sums down for a project that might take 3, 5, even 10 years to deliver. Luckily we have been able to find those people and we have proved our success through our development track record which speaks for itself.

"SO I EMBRACED THE CHALLENGE AND TOOK A HELICOPTER TRIP ACROSS LAGOS AND DISCOVERED THIS SITE WHERE LANDMARK NOW PROVIDES A PREMIUM ONE-STOP DESTINATION FOR ALL WHO REQUIRE SUCH A HAVEN IN THE MIDST OF THE CITY’S HUSTLE & BUSTLE "

Managing over 500 clients across 5 continents is no mean feat. How do you juggle this and still stay ‘productive’?

I Believe passion is the most important ingredient for success. The dream is now much larger than any one person. Daily I do my part but I have a team of incredible people around me that deserve the same if not more praise than I receive. They’re the people that keep the lights on at the end of each day. Teamwork makes the Dreamwork.

You’ve made owning properties and managing them really cool, how did you conceive this big idea?

Great ideas are common. What’s uncommon are the people who will work hard enough to bring them to be. Luckily I have those people. They understand that all the easy things have been done, and put in the effort to do small things in a great way consistently. All this wasn’t built in a day

What CSR activities does Landmark engage in?

Youth mentorships programs, including scholarships and internships, Medical support during covid and with routine health checks within our ecosystem, Community Road repairs, School excursions/field trips, reduction in carbon footprint to mention a few.

What tips can you share for people looking up to you… looking up to your level of success?

1. Think solvability, scalability and sustainability; The best businesses solve a problem for the masses.
2. Underestimate intelligence, overestimate experience; The best source of knowledge is experience
3. Invest in relationships; that’s how you build unquantifiable wealth
4. Change is inevitable, so constantly evolve your business; Complacency is the killer of dreams.
5. Maximally utilize opportunities; The opportunity of a lifetime can only be realized within the lifetime of that opportunity.