PHOTOS: Bayo Lawal unveils book on real estate market — calls for effective credit system

Bayo Lawal, the real estate developer, has launched his book on real estate titled ‘The Edge’.

The book’s unveiling ceremony was recently held at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Lagos.

The event brought together people from various sectors of life, including entrepreneurs and real estate enthusiasts.

Speaking at the event, Lawal thanked his team for the publication’s success.

Lawal argued that writing a book is evidence of one’s knowledge importation on their generation.

He revealed that ‘The Edge’ is his second book published out of five he has authored.

He said everyone must write a book because it serves as a legacy.

“And for many people who want to put down something, tomorrow is not assured. And the only thing that you will be remembered for is those people you imparted to and the instrument of your thoughts that are captured in words,” he said.  

“And the only way those words can be captured in words is for you to start writing. If you are thinking of writing a book, start writing it, because we don’t know how long we will be here.

“Writing this book for me is about sharing knowledge. But much more than that, it is also the fact that nobody knows how long they have on this surface of the earth.”

Lawal said working in the real estate sector raises many expectations from different parties, including the government, buyers, and investors.

He, however, said he pushes beyond the boundaries to maintain the standards set by industry experts.

He argued that every individual must see the importance of real estate because “it is arguably one of the industries that stood the test of time in retaining value”.

He also called on the government to establish a seamless credit system that makes real estate investment more flexible for all parties.

“If you want to retain your value, you need to understand that one of the industries to put your money into is real estate,” he added.

“When you look at other clients, you see that their credit system that supports real estate, we are praying and hoping that in Nigeria someday we’ll get to a place where people can buy houses with 10% down deposit and then they can pay over a period of 30 years.

Speaking about the book, Lawal said the first chapter opens with his life experiences from secondary school through university.

The real estate developer said the book contains “so much to learn on how to understand the real estate market”.

He maintained that real estate “is not a get-rich-quick scheme” but requires patience and consistency built on trust.

“This journey started a few years back, about nine years now. And we are still on the road. We are building and we are getting stronger.”

Akintoye Adeoye, the president and chairman of Council at the Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria (REDAN), delivered the keynote address at the event.

Adeoye, the Oluoke of Okeigbo kingdom, called on the federal government to enact policies that enables a viable structure for real estate in Nigeria.

Reviewing the book, Saheed Bashiru, the managing director at Risk Universe consulting, revealed his eight topical highlights of the book.

Bashiru said he read the book at a go after being “struck by the narrative technique”.

The consultant said in the book, Lawal provided “pragmatic solutions” for problems of real estate.

He revealed that ‘The Edge’ talked about the market overview of Nigeria including “opportunities and obstacles, and context shaping deals and policy”.