Travel/Tourism
Sujimoto, Minister Discuss Development of Luxury Properties in Abuja
By Dipo Olowookere
There are plans to create a new city within Abuja that will become the industrial hub where forward-thinking entrepreneurs will make their first choice.
The main driver of this vision is the Lagos-based luxury real estate company known as Sujimoto Construction, which has made its mark in the commercial capital of Nigeria.
Recently, its Managing Director/CEO, Mr Sijibomi Ogundele, held a crucial meeting with the Minister of State of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mrs Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu.
At the meeting, which was supposed to last for only 15 minutes but ended after three hours, Mr Ogundele and the Minister agreed on the need to “turn Abuja into a small Dubai.”
“The vision is one for a new city within a city that will become the industrial hub where from automobile to information technology, every forward-thinking entrepreneur will make this new city their first choice. I still remember her (the Minister) exact words, Suji if this must be done, it must be done NOW!” Mr Ogundele said.
He noted that, “A meeting of 15 minutes lasted 3 hours because of the synergy in our thinking and vision. Hajiya is a no respecter of mediocrity, you can glimpse this in her personality and in the incredible projects she has embarked upon; from the floating luxury tourist attraction water park of Jabi to the Abuja Diamond City, a vision that’s meant to merge luxury and class into one space.”
The real estate expert described the Minister as a passionate administrator and an example of quality leadership.
“It is true what they say that there is no force equal to a woman determined to make an impact in the lives of her people! I have heard about her strength of character. I finally got to meet this great patriot, a true leader of the people, and I am happy to share in her vision and ready to partner with her ministry for a renewed FCT Abuja,” he said of her.
Continuing, he said “Meeting with dedicated and hardworking professionals like Dr Ramatu only incentivizes the resolve of a wholly Nigerian luxury real estate and infrastructure investor like ours. She epitomizes grace, vision and a ‘can-do’ commitment that the country needs at about now.
“We spoke about numerous projects and subjects, from real-estate to the realities and difficulties facing our great nation; her passion for gender equality, empowerment, and her vision to turn Abuja into a small Dubai. Certainly, we will not be known as the capital of mass housing, when we can transform Abuja into the luxury capital of Africa.”
“The Sujimoto brand is well acquainted with luxury and would be glad to take on the challenge of working with the brilliant team at the Federal Capital Territory to promote the beauty of Nigeria’s administrative host,” he said.
“The Leonardo that we are presently developing at the Banana Island in Lagos has redefined luxury already and as it is our custom, we intend to take the challenge of pushing our standards further.
“In our proposed incursion into the FCT, with the level of support already thrown at us, I believe a new episode of luxury is about to grace the cityscape,” Mr Ogundele said.
Sujimoto is known for high in class luxury real estate assets boasting of some of the best in class accommodation for the very few who seek exclusive and well-designed residential properties.
Some of the well-known brands are LucreziaBySujimoto, LorenzoBySujimoto, GiulianoBySujimoto, and currently under development the LeonardoBySujimoto, amongst several others.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
A travel card designed for tourists, business visitors, Diaspora returnees has been launched by Verve in partnership with Providus Bank.
Known as the ProvidusVerve Travel Card, the Naira-based travel card will allow inbound travellers to enjoy a smooth, secure, and convenient payment experience throughout their stay in Nigeria. It was powered by Verve’s secure.
Created to support the surge of tourists, expatriates, business visitors, conference delegates, and returning diaspora expected during the festive Detty December season, the ProvidusVerve Travel Card enables seamless payments for transportation, hotels, dining, shopping, entertainment, and everyday essentials nationwide.
The card also works on select global merchant platforms that accept Verve, including Netflix, Google Play, and other digital services, ensuring travellers enjoy uninterrupted access to familiar services.
The ProvidusVerve Travel Card eliminates the hassle of sourcing naira or converting foreign currency on arrival. It enables instant, secure transactions, reduces reliance on cash, and supports compliance with the cashless policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
It also mitigates the risks associated with carrying physical cash such as loss, theft, or fraud, offering a safe, regulation-aligned option for both online and in-person payments.
“The ProvidusVerve Travel Card is a timely solution for inbound travellers seeking reliability, security, and simplicity while navigating Nigeria.
“Together with Providus Bank, we have created a product that eliminates the friction traditionally associated with accessing local payments.
“Whether for tourism, business, or festive activities, this card ensures a smooth financial experience from the moment visitors land,” the Vice President for Issuing and Acquiring Management for Africa at Verve International, Mr Paul Ohakim, stated.
On his part, the Divisional Head for Product Management and Solution Delivery at Interswitch, Mr Ademola Adeniran, described the partnership as a reflection of “Verve’s commitment to designing products that respond to real user needs.”
“The ProvidusVerve Travel Card supports everyday experiences — from booking rides and hotels to shopping, streaming, and dining. It provides inbound travellers with a secure, compliant, digital-first way to experience Nigeria without financial barriers,” he added.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo, has disclosed that the federal government may recover and sell the assets of Dana Air to refund passengers and travel agents whose funds remain trapped following the suspension of the airline’s operations.
The Minister disclosed this in Abuja on Tuesday at the Ministry’s fourth quarter stakeholders’ engagement to enhance governance for effective service delivery in aviation.
Speaking at the event themed “leveraging public feedback to drive excellence in aviation services, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) will be directed to probe why funds trapped by the airline are yet to be refunded.
He revealed that the authority suspended the operations of the airline as a matter of choice between safety and disaster.
“For Dana, the problem is that it was a choice between safety and disaster. So we didn’t take the commercial thing as priority. The priority was safety, and we all looked at the damning reports that we had met on the table.
“It was a decision of the NCAA to suspend them, but I pushed them to say, look, these are the reports we are seeing on the table about safety record, about lack of standards that put the lives of Nigerians at risk. If they continue flying, I don’t know whether most of us will be here. Many of us would have been victims of one of those flights. God forbid.”
According to him, “I have asked Najomo (NCAA director general) to dig deep to find out how those passengers and agents will be refunded. He has to dig deep on that.
“One solution will also be that if that same individual or those entities are trying to come back to aviation under any guise, whether to go and register a new AOC or use any business within the aviation sector, they have to go and settle their debts first.
“We should look at their assets. There are assets that are still available. Let them sell their assets. Let’s cannibalize their revenue and pay people. Let’s find a way to go after their assets and get money to pay Nigerians who are owed.
“NCAA should do that because they can’t get away with it.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) said it has imposed a N5 million penalty on Qatar Airways for consumer protection violations.
The announcement was made on Wednesday by the NCAA’s Director of Public Affairs & Consumer Protection, Mr Michael Achimugu, on X, adding that there may be other sanctions depending on how the airline treats other cases.
“Glad to announce that, today, the NCAA has sanctioned @qatarairways to the tune of five million naira being penalty for consumer protection-related infractions. In addition, the letters of investigation (LOI) written to the airline over other cases may lead to further sanctions if not treated satisfactorily,” Mr Achimugu wrote.
The fine followed an incident when a Nigerian passenger was accused by a Qatar Airways cabin crew member of sexual harassment during boarding in Lagos for a flight to the United States via Doha, Qatar.
The allegation was only reported in Doha, where the passenger was arrested, detained for 18 hours, fined, and compelled to sign a document written solely in Arabic.
Qatar Airways allegedly refused to continue his journey, forcing him to purchase another ticket at considerable financial and reputational cost.
The NCAA said it invited Qatar Airways’ country manager to a meeting over the incident, but he failed to attend, sending subordinates instead.
“I understand that some countries do not have advanced aviation consumer protection regulations like Nigeria does. In certain cases, some countries don’t even have any. This creates a situation where airlines operating out of those countries (mostly national carriers) act with disdain towards consumer protection enforcement in Nigeria.
“This is not a situation that we would accept here. It is against the law for ANY Airlines not to respond to the NCAA. It is against the law to provide false information to the NCAA. It is against the law to fail to comply with the provisions of Part 19 of the NCAA Regulations 2023,” Mr Achimugu said in an earlier post.
In September, the NCAA accused Qatar Airways of mistreating Nigerian passengers and failing to comply with consumer protection regulations under Part 19 of the NCAA Regulations 2023.
The regulator then threatened stiff penalties against the airline for repeatedly disregarding its directives.
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