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The story of this Nigerian millionaire who lived under a bridge will inspire you

At the age of 16, Kennedy Okonkwo lost his father, a retired soldier who slipped into poverty after his military service. The death of his father brought untold hardship to him as his father was his only provider and sponsor of his education.

What was even heartbreaking was the fact that his family was evicted from their home in Nigeria’s Lagos state. With nowhere to call home, Okonkwo resorted to sleeping under Lagos’ popular Ikeja Bridge, according to Business Elites Africa.

However, these series of misfortunes did not cause Okonkwo to despair in life. He saw it as a challenge to aim for success. According to him, the struggles he went through strengthened him to go for gold.

“I believed I was going to be a great man because the obstacles I faced made me better. As they say, the heaviest of the fire made the finest of steel,” he told Business Elites Africa.

Okonkwo still managed to finance his education to the university, where he graduated from the University of Ibadan. He first worked as a marketer for a telecoms firm while working as a real estate consultant as a side gig.

After breaking multiple deals in real estate, he found the sector lucrative, and it coincidently happened during the massive property boom in Oniru in Lagos. He built four units of room and parlor self-contain apartments as a start to his entry into the real estate business.

The successful nature of his first real estate project boosted his confidence to venture into other real estate ventures. He subsequently founded Nedcomoaks Property and acquired several chains of properties across Lagos.

The company now specializes in providing luxury housing schemes for the working middle class in Lagos. Okonkwo is credited with the completion of Victoria Bay 3, a real estate project comprising 587 units of houses.

His company had annual revenue of over $35 million as of 2018. It now has over a thousand employees on its payroll. Besides Nedcomoaks Property, the real estate mogul also founded Victoria Crest Homes which he has since passed over to his wife after stepping down as CEO.

His success in real estate has won him many laurels. He was named African Business Personality of the Year in 2017 and he was also featured on Forbes Africa. He told Forbes Africa that public-private partnerships can alleviate Nigeria’s housing crisis.

“Financing infrastructure deficit across Africa will involve collective innovation both across the public and the private sectors,” said the innovative real estate entrepreneur.

Source: face2faceafrica.com

Ogyem Solomon

Solomon Ogyem – Media Entrepreneur | Journalist | Brand Ambassador Solomon Ogyem is a dynamic Ghanaian journalist and media entrepreneur currently based in South Africa. With a solid foundation in journalism, Solomon is a graduate of the OTEC School of Journalism and Communication Studies in Ghana and Oxbridge Academy in South Africa. He began his career as a reporter at OTEC 102.9 MHz in Kumasi, where he honed his skills in news reporting, community storytelling, and radio broadcasting. His passion for storytelling and dedication to the media industry led him to establish Press MltiMedia Company in South Africa—a growing platform committed to authentic African narratives and multimedia journalism. Solomon is the founder and owner of Thepressradio.com, a news portal focused on delivering credible, timely, and engaging stories across Ghana and Africa. He also owns Press Global Tickets, a service-driven venture in the travel and logistics space, providing reliable ticketing services. In addition to his media ventures, Solomon serves as a Brand Ambassador for Alabuga, a prominent Russian industrial company, representing their interests and expansion across Africa. He previously owned two notable websites—Ghanaweb.mobi and ShowbizAfrica.net—both of which contributed to entertainment and socio-political discussions within Ghana’s digital space. With a diverse background in media, digital journalism, and business, Solomon Ogyem is dedicated to telling impactful African stories, empowering youth through media, and building cross-continental media partnerships.

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