Many Don't Know I Worked As A Coca-Cola Truck Boy – RevolutionPlus GMD, Dr. BAMIDELE ONALAJA

Guess who is celebrating his birthday? It’s no other person than RevolutionPlus Property Group Managing Director, Dr Bamidele Onalaja. This young man is in his late 40s.

He wants this year’s birthday celebration to be different. He wants to spend quality time with widows, motherless children, orphans, etc and he wants to empower many of them, running into thousands. 

Though he was a year older on Saturday, May 21st but he’s chosen 23rd Monday, to celebrate in his Ikeja office with family, friends, staffers and the less privileged ones, where many of them will be empowered through his foundation (CBOF).

Dr Bamidele O. is a serial entrepreneur and philanthropist. He is Group Managing Director /Chief Executive Officer of RevolutionPlus Property Group, a company with 7 subsidiaries; RevolutionPlus Property Development Company Limited, RevolutionPlus Constructions and Infrastructure Limited, Remarkable Hotels and Apartments Limited, Remarkable Impact Investment Limited, Remarkable Foods Limited, Chris Bamidele Onalaja Foundation(CBOF) and Angelic Lingerie. He is also the current Chairman of the Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria (REDAN), Lagos Chapter and the President-Elect of Rotary Club of Maryland, Lagos-Nigeria. He is a major donor to the Rotary Foundation having donated over $10,000 to the foundation.

A few days ago, ISAAC ABIMBADE, (08155107955) spoke with Dr Bamidele Onalaja, and he shares part of his childhood.

 

How do you feel as you celebrate another year?

I feel so great! I thank Him for His protection and grace over my life, business, staff and associates and everybody that I have associated with. God has been so good to me as a person. He’s been so good to us at RevolutionPlus.

I’m so happy because, at my age, God has used me to help many people. I have refused to live a life of “Waka pass”. I have been able to make an impact on people’s lives, and that’s the most important thing in one’s life.

Can you share with us some of your childhood dreams?

I remember my dad, who has always wanted me to become a medical doctor. My elder brother and I. His dream was for us to become medical doctors. At that point, he mandated us to go for science while in secondary school but there was something inside of me that says this science is not for me. I failed Physics twice and that was when I told my old man that there’s no hope again for medicine, I told him to let me cross over to Commercial and I studied Economics.

Growing up, I have always liked to live a life of impact. I grew up in a humble background but God lifted me up and I am now a star. I’m sure my father in heaven would be so happy to see what I have become today. He died over 10 years ago.

Was being a medical doctor your childhood dream?

My childhood dream was to be a successful man. But I still remember when they asked us what I would like to do, I always said I want to be a doctor, and lawyer but we didn’t know what it takes to become all of those. As time went on, when we got to secondary school, it now became clearer. I just wanted to make an impact and I also realised that being a lawyer or doctor doesn’t define success. We have seen people that didn’t attend any school and they are successful. They lived an impactful life.

At what point did you now develop an interest in real estate?

When I finished from Lagos State University where I studied Economics. I worked with Chief Adeyemi Lawson and that was my first job. It’s the first private real estate company in Nigeria, Agbara Estate. I was the Marketing Manager for 2 years. And that’s where I developed a love for real estate. While growing up, some of my father/mother’s friends, who worked in the ministry then left the ministry broke and poor. They left there without any house. Many of them live in government houses for up to 60 years and above. These were some of the things that touched my heart and I said I want to help this kind of people. And I started gathering experiences about 20 years ago at Agbara Estate. And I said I was going to make the difference.

I also had the opportunity of working with Refuge Mortgage Bank. That was my first mortgage experience. At Refuge, I was able to create mortgage products through real estate for clients. I was the head of the project there. From there, I started to develop more passion for affordable housing.

And I have told God during that time that at a particular age I want to stop working for anyone. Thank God, He answered my prayer. I said at the age of 40, I want to stop working for anyone because I have seen what people go through working for someone throughout their lives.

 You always say that your childhood dream was to become a very successful businessman, have you actualised your childhood dream?

Yes, I have. It has even surpassed it. What I have been able to achieve in life is beyond my expectation. I know where some of my friends are. Some of those whom we attended University and secondary school together. Many people may not understand this. I came from a humble background. There was no money to even feed while growing up and that is why I have been doing what we are doing. Free school, free meals, empowerment, because I know what poverty is. I have tasted it. I thank God, He brought me out from the shackles of poverty and that’s why I will always be grateful to God and give to the less privileged, especially because I was there at a time. I have told you time and time again that I worked as a Coca-Cola truck boy. I have a mark on my leg as a result of a bottle that broke and injured my leg. I can never forget it. As a truck boy, you live from hand to mouth. But I am grateful to God for where I am today.

How do you intend to celebrate this year’s birthday?

I just want to worship God and thank Him for His grace over me, then celebrate with widows on Monday. We have big plans for them through the Chris Bamidele Onalaja Foundation (CBOF). We want to empower widows and motherless children. It’s a very big one. This is taking place at our Ikeja office on Monday. It’s also 8 years since we started RevolutionPlus with my wife. We have done so well. We now have massive clients in and out of Nigeria. I keep telling people that I can only do good to people because it’s what I do.