Ayeyemi’s N4bn hotel to create over 100 jobs in Ogun

A Canada-based Nigerian entrepreneur, Oluwafemi Ayeyemi, has said his N4 billion hospitality investment in Ogun State will create over 100 jobs and boost the local economy, as he urged Nigerians in the diaspora to return home and invest in their communities.

Ayeyemi, who spoke during a tour of his hotel project—Feliza Hotel and Suites—located in the Ijeja community of Obada-Oko, Abeokuta, said the investment was driven by a desire to contribute meaningfully to economic development and job creation in Nigeria. "I'm leading by example because I want my friends to come back home and invest," Ayeyemi said. "Also, this investment is another way of creating jobs for the people. The hotel will generate between 60 to 100 employment for the people within the community. On the site presently, we have over 300 people working here and a number of them are from the neighbourhood."

Flanked by his wife, Ms Elizabeth Ayeyemi, the hotelier noted that the project, which is expected to be completed by October this year, sits on two acres of land and features a 62-room, three-storey hotel building, a swimming pool, spa, gym, three mini conference halls, and a 2,500-capacity event centre. The African Advocate reports that the Feliza Hotel and Suites is set to redefine the hospitality landscape in Ogun State and serve as a beacon for diaspora-led investments. Ayeyemi, however, expressed concern over the poor condition of roads leading to the project site and appealed for government support to improve infrastructure in the area. According to him, he has already spent about N5 million on palliative work on the road, which continues to deteriorate due to erosion.

"We will do all our best to make it motorable. We can't do it alone. We need the government's assistance. This is just a road within a community, if you go to the major roads, they're all bad. If the road is fixed it will boost the business," he said. Echoing the call for better infrastructure, Mrs Elizabeth Ayeyemi added, “The government should help everybody out. A lot of people want to invest in this country but because of the insecurity and roads... If the government can fix the road, everybody will want to invest.” The couple’s remarks come amid ongoing national conversations about how to attract more diaspora investment to Nigeria’s struggling economy.