Connect with us

Featured

GText @16: How We Transformed N1000 into Multi $Million Enterprise – Dr. Stephen Akintayo

Published

on

By Eric Elezuo

From the humblest of beginnings in 2008, GText Holdings Limited has grown in leaps and bounds, gathering accolades, encomiums, and growth and development as 16 years roll by.

This was the submission of the Group Chairman, Dr. Stephen Akintayo, while addressing the media, as he reeled out the text of success stories that trailed the organisation in 16 years since 2008, expanding to accommodate GText and Associates, GText Land, GText Homes, GText Suites, Gvest and Stephen Akintayo Foundation. All these subsidiaries have since grown independently, carving a niche for themselves in global competition, and maintaining a market lead in their various areas of endeavours.

“It’s humbling however, to note that I started my business with one thousand naira, and for us to be in the four continents of the world, I had to keep proving myself,” he said.

Established on May 21, 2008, in a hostel room of about 12 by 15 feet, the Gtext brands have over the years seen the good, the bad and the ugly, but has stayed focused to the dream, and today, is a force to reckon with in the global business world.

A soft spoken go-getter, the story of Stephen Akintayo and to a large extent, Gtext, is a practically example of the proverbial leap from grass to grace, and tells a narrative filled with determination, resilience and focus. His life trajectory culminates in why everyone is a candidate of success, irrespective of the background.

He told journalists in hia Ikoyi office, and via his social media handles, how he doggedly built his empire via strategic marketing advantages, and rising to the status of king of real estate, as well as how a team of hardnut-to-crack management team, has sustained the growth to its present magnanimous level.

“Exactly 16 years ago, we registered Gtext and Stephen Akintayo Foundation, the name then was Gileadbalm.

“This company started in my Campus 12by 15feet hostel room turn office and accomodation. My first Full time Employee is a guy name Busayo who had 3month compulsory internship and didn’t want to leave Ago-Iwoye and ask to work for Me. He will resume in that 12 by 15 feet room office and run errands. The scripture that says; “Though thy beginning was small, Yet thy latter end should greatly increase.” ‭‭Job‬ ‭8‬:‭7‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“We started very small with many businesses that failed even before I registered the company but one business became our identity, Bulk SMS. Started this with 1000 naira (10USD that’s time estate rate) our projection will see us control real estate asset worth over 2billion dollars in the next 5years, particularly our international operations. Only God could have gotten us this far in life and business.

“Many don’t know that our foundation was bigger in name and brand than the for-profit business. Infinity Foundation which later change to Stephen Akintayo Foundation started with Campus students wanted to help the poor particularly orphans and widows. I was poor myself, yet wanting to make others rich.

“As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.” ‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭6‬:‭10‬ ‭KJV‬‬. I was a student for Christ sake yet we will raise Millions of Naira to do project with orphanages . Will use my school fees and accomodation rent money just because I wanted to see changes. After I got tired and frustrated by people who pledge towards our project and disappoint , I decided to make the business arm more central and what I make from my business, I can then put into charity which is what we now do today.

“In All! God has been good to us as a company! We have moved from one estate to over 30 cut across 7 states in Nigeria and also in USA. We have moved from one employee to over 300 in 4 continents namely Africa, UK, Dubai for Middle East, USA for The Americas. Thank you to all who keep faith with us. We are grateful,” the seasoned entrepreneur said.

Acknowledging that he was pushed to work hardest because of the need to be financially free, he noted that he embraced entrepreneurship very eary in life.

“At the age of 17/18, I read the books that changed my life. I read Rich Dad, Poor Dad, Think and Grow Rich and others. The books woke me up to know that it is not degrees that is going to make me rich. It made me know that degree is just about going to school and being enlightened. If I want to be rich, I needed to do a trade. Having gone through that book at the age of 18, I started my first business as a very shy person, and my first business was multilevel marketing of food supplement by GNLD. It was difficult to market a drug, as I couldn’t look a potential customer in the face, but the book I read said if I could do this, I would become rich. So I had to.

“I started business by selling e-books from day one in the university. I was just sold to doing business; hawked electronics and all stuffs. I failed many times doing business but I kept at it because I had no choice, and because we were not rich and money was always an issue, so I just had to keep at it and that was it for me,” he informed.

Over the years, Akintayo and Gtext has providing affordable accommodations to all strata of clients ranging from the low to the upper class.

Today, Gtext land boasts of 25 luxury estates with 16 already launched and five fully developed just as nine estates are in pre-launch stages. Also, Gtext Suites have offered ownership of smart homes in prestigious areas like Sangotedo and Banana Island. The magnanimity of this project allows anyone who sells up to three property, an opportunity of an all expense trip to Jordan.

In the same vein, GText and Associates, alongside Stephen Akintayo Foundation has organised over 100 Certified Real Estate Masterclasses and enhanced realtors’ global real estate expertise. They have also initiated and executed over 50 all expense paid trips, which created opportunities for business growth as well as raising over 60,000 persons to the millionaire cadre.

Gvest, the investment of the Holdings, has succeeded in paying Return on Investment (ROI) to investors. The company has seamlessly perfected its operational base, laying a foundation that affords clients effortless utilization of the GSAVE app.

The Stephen Akintayo Foundation arm of the Holdings has been in the forefront of equipping aspiring entrepreneurs through real estate investment masterclasses as well as promoting global finance literacy via a successful family finance conference.

The company plans a gala nite for management, staff and the general public on June 1, 2024, to celebrate the landmark achievements of the past 16 years.

This is wishing Dr. Stephen Akintayo and the entire Gtext family a wonderful 16th Anniversary celebration, and many more years of market leadership.

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Featured

Buhari Denies Ownership of Abuja Land Revoked by Wike

Published

on

By

Former President Muhammadu Buhari, on Thursday, denied ownership of a piece of land purportedly allocated to him by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCDA) in Abuja.

Media reports indicate that Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has revoked the ownership of 762 plots of land in the Maitama 1 District of Abuja, citing non-payment of statutory fees.

According to the trending reports, high-profile figures, including former President Muhammadu Buhari and former Chief Justice Walter Onnoghen, are among those affected.

The FCTA had also issued a two-week ultimatum to 614 other individuals and organisations, demanding they settle outstanding Rights of Occupancy (R-of-O) fees or risk losing their plots.
However, debunking the reports, the former President stated he is “not the owner of the said plot of land which is allocated in the name of a ‘Muhammadu Buhari Foundation.’”

In a statement issued by his media aide, Garba Shehu, in Abuja, the former President explained that he turned down the offer by the administration when it was presented to him.

The media aide further clarified: “When he and his cabinet members were invited to fill the forms and obtain land during his tenure in office, he returned the form without filling it, saying that he already had a plot of land in the FCT and that those who did not have should be given. He, therefore, turned down the offer.

“All those jumping up and down in the digital space talking about the rightfulness or the lack of it on the reported seizure of Buhari’s land in Abuja to get their facts right and stop dragging down the name of the former president.

“As with anything Buhari—and there is no surprise in this at all—there is a lot of buzz in the media on the reported seizure of a piece of land by the authorities of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, FCTA, allegedly belonging to the former President Muhammadu Buhari.

“Former President Buhari is personally not the owner of the said plot of land, which is allocated in the name of a ‘Muhammadu Buhari Foundation.

“The Foundation was itself floated by some utilitarian individuals around him who, it must be said, went about it in a lawful manner with the support of a number of well-meaning persons.

“But they ran into a roadblock in the land department of the FCDA, which handed them an outrageous bill for the issuance of the certificate of occupancy, very high in cost that did not at all compare with the bills given to similar organisations.

“It may have been that this was not erroneous, but a deliberate mistake, making the revocation of the land no surprise to anyone.

“As a person, the former President has a plot of land to his name in Abuja,” he added

Continue Reading

Featured

Dangote Refinery, a Wonder of Modern Technology – Japan Ambassador, Business Community

Published

on

By

The Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals complex has been hailed as an astonishing masterpiece, showcasing Nigeria’s technological advancements on the global stage.

This accolade was shared by a delegation from the Japanese Business Community in Nigeria, led by Japan’s Ambassador-designate to Nigeria, Suzuki Hideo. The Dangote Group also reiterated that its petroleum products are in demand worldwide, as it expands its polypropylene section to reduce Nigeria’s reliance on imported polypropylene, a crucial material used in packaging, textiles, and the automotive manufacturing industries.

The Japanese delegation, which toured the impressive facilities housing both the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals as well as Dangote Fertilisers, commended the state-of-the-art technology on display, noting that it reinforces Nigeria’s role as the gateway to Africa.

Managing Director of the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO), Takashi Oku, remarked that while Nigeria remains the gateway to Africa, the Dangote Refinery stands as a remarkable project that showcases the country’s technological progress. He added that the facility, as the world’s largest single-train refinery, is a point of immense pride for Nigeria. JETRO is Japan’s governmental organisation for trade and investment.

“We had heard about the excellence of the Dangote Refinery through the media but seeing it in person has left us truly amazed by its vastness and grandeur. It demonstrates that Nigeria’s population is not only growing but also advancing in technology. We are keen to collaborate with Nigerian companies, especially Dangote Refinery,” he said.

Emphasising that the refinery has bolstered Nigeria’s leading position in Africa, he further noted that the facility serves as an ideal introduction to the country for the global community.

Managing Director of Itochu Nigeria Limited, Masahiro Tsuno, also praised the sheer size and automation of the Dangote Refinery, calling it a miracle and one of the wonders of the world.

“I’ve seen many standalone refineries across the globe, including in Vietnam and the Middle East. However, this size of a refinery built by one single investor is probably a miracle in the world. And I’m just actually witnessing a miracle, to be honest, today,” he said. Tsuno indicated that his company would seek collaboration with the refinery across various sectors, including polypropylene and other petroleum products.

Commending the ambassador-designate and his team, which described the Dangote Petroleum Refinery as a wonder of modern technology, Vice President of Oil and Gas, Dangote Industries Limited, Devakumar Edwin, explained that the facility is the vision of a Nigerian investor- Aliko Dangote, designed and built by Nigerians, and intended to serve the global market.

He said that it is a point of pride that a Nigerian company not only designed but also built the world’s largest single-train refinery complex. Dangote Industries Limited, a Nigerian company, acted as the Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) contractor for the refinery. In the process, cutting-edge technologies from around the world were incorporated to ensure that the facility meets the highest standards. Edwin assured the ambassador-designate and the delegation that the company is open to collaboration, always striving to maintain the best possible standards.

“Even now, we have a lot of Japanese equipment inside both the refinery and the fertiliser plant. There are significant opportunities for collaboration, as we always seek the latest technology in any business we engage in. For instance, our cement plant laboratory is managed by robots, and we always embrace advanced technology. With Japan’s focus on technological innovation, there is ample scope for cooperation and for supplying various types of technology,” he said.

Edwin also stated that the Dangote Petrochemical project will significantly boost investment in downstream industries, creating substantial value, generating employment, increasing tax revenues, reducing foreign exchange outflows, and contributing to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

He confirmed that products from the refinery meet international standards and are already being exported globally.

“In recent weeks, we’ve exported petrol to Cameroon, Ghana, Angola, and South Africa among others. Diesel has gone all over the world, and jet fuel is being heavily exported to European markets. Our products are already making their mark internationally,” he said.

He further added that by leveraging Africa’s vast crude oil resources to produce refined products locally, the Dangote Group aims to create a virtuous cycle of industrial development, job creation, and economic prosperity.

Continue Reading

Featured

ICOBA 84-86 Set Donates N20m to Endowment

Published

on

By

The Christmas/End of Year party of the Igbobi College Old Boys Association (ICOBA) was filled with excitement, pomp and pageantry as the 84-86 set celebrated its 40th anniversary of leaving the school.
The highlight of the event was the donation of N20 million from the set’s endowment to serve as a seed fund for the national body’s endowment through the National ICOBA. The donation was received by Mr Femi Banwo, President ICOBA International and Mr Kunle Elebute, Chairman ICOBA National Endowment Committee

The 84-86 set’s Board of Trustees Endowment Committee had established an independent endowment in 2009 with a vision to create a lasting legacy for the set. Speaking at the occasion, the Chairman of the ICOBA 84-86 Board of Trustees and Endowment Committee, Dr. Falil Ayo Abina, expressed his delight, stating that it was a dream come true.

Dr. Abina explained that one of the core lessons learned at Igbobi College was “self-denial.”
He reminisced about the Self-Denial Fund (SDF), where students were taught to contribute their weekly “widow’s mite” to share with the less privileged in society. Dr. Abina emphasized that when the endowment committee conceived the idea of the endowment 15 years ago, they had this legacy in mind, aiming to serve a purpose greater than self.

The donation of N20 million to the national endowment is expected to inspire others within the alumni and other school alumni associations to follow suit.
This generous donation is the first in ICOBA’s history and arguably in Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa.

The 13-member endowment committee, also include Demola Ipaye, Fola Laguda, Gbenga Aina, Demola Oladeinde, Jimi Onanuga, Abayomi Alabi, Kwami Adadevoh, Bayo Ayoade, Tunde Sadare, Wole Ogunbajo, Tunji Akinwummi, and Lanre Olusola, worked tirelessly to make this vision a reality and it was indeed mission accomplished for the ‘Nobles Nigerians‘ as Igbobians are called.

Continue Reading

Trending