A Canadian-based investor, Mr. Oluwafemi Ayeyemi, has revealed that he is building a multi billion naira hotel in Abeokuta, Ogun State Capital in order to cater to both local and international guests, hereby boosting Nigeria’s tourism and hospitality industry.
He said the State of the art hotel will feature state-of-the-art facilities, expanded meeting spaces, and world-class amenities designed to cater to both local and international guests. This project will further enhance Ogun State’ reputation as a hub for luxury hospitality, increase room capacity, create more employment opportunities, and meet the growing demand for premium hospitality services in Abeokuta and Nigeria in general
The hotel located at the heart of Obada in a spurious acres of land with good terrain was according to the Promoter of the Hotel, meant to serve as a good tourist center as it entails all luxury expected of a first class hotel internationally.
The Promoter, Mr Femi Ayeyemi and his wife Elizabeth Ayeyemi announced that the soon to be completed Feliza Hotel and Suites in Obada-Oko, Ogun State, will create employment opportunities for at least 100 youths within and beyond the host community.
Ayeyemi disclosed while taking journalists on a facility tour of the multi-billion-naira hotel facility located in Ijeja community, Obada-Oko, in Ewekoro Local Government Area of the state.
According to him, the over N3 billion hospitality project, which is scheduled for commissioning in November 2025, is poised to significantly boost economic activity in the area and contribute to the transformation of the state’s tourism and hospitality landscape.
The 62-room luxury hotel, featured amenities including a modern elevator, swimming pool, spa and gym centre, industrial air conditioning system, three mini conference halls, and a 2,500-capacity event centre.
Ayeyemi recounted the challenges faced during the early stages of the project, noted that he was initially discouraged from investing in Nigeria after his first house at Laderin was demolished in 2016 for a railway project, without compensation, despite having all the necessary documents.
“I was first discouraged to do anything in Nigeria again because my first house was demolished at Laderin in 2016 for the construction of the railway line without any compensation despite having all title documents.
“Later in 2017, my father encouraged me to do something and rise again. That’s why I consulted a few of my friends in Nigeria on a thriving business, and they advised me to invest in hospitality. That’s when we started this project”he explained.
Drawing from his experience in Canada, Ayeyemi said he ensured the hotel was constructed using only high-quality, modern equipment and infrastructure that meet global standards.
However, he lamented the poor road network in the Ijeja community, appealing to Governor Dapo Abiodun to prioritize the construction of the Ijeja railway road in Obada-Oko.
He decried the lack of social amenities as factors discouraging many Nigerians in diaspora and foreign investors to invest in the country.
The young business tycoon noted that the majority of his colleagues in the US and Europe are scared of investing their resources due to the multifaceted challenges affecting the Nigeria economy.
He said high rate of insecurity, multi tax system, lack of infrastructure, and untrustworthy manpower discouraged many foreign investors from contributing to the growth of the Nigerian economy.
“In developed countries, access roads are the first step before any major construction begins. Here, it is the opposite. We hope that this facility will draw government attention and spur infrastructural development in the area,” he stated.
Ayeyemi also called on fellow Nigerians in the diaspora to return home and support development efforts, stressing that government alone cannot shoulder the responsibility of nation building.
“I want to use this medium to appeal to our people abroad to come home and develop this country. We can not leave the development of this country to the government alone. The government should also encourage us by providing the necessary basic amenities for businesses to thrive.”
In her remarks, the wife of Canadian-based hotel investor, Mrs Elizabeth Ayeyemi appealed to the Nigerian government to prioritize security and infrastructure development in order to attract more investors into the country.
“My advice for the government is that they should please help everybody out,” she said. “A lot of people want to invest in this country, but because of the insecurity, they are scared. If the government can fix the roads and improve security, many more people will come and invest in this country.”
Addressing concerns about the hotel’s staffing plans, Mrs. Ayeyemi dispelled rumors that the management intends to hire foreigners.
She emphasized that the hotel’s operations both during and after construction would be entirely managed by Nigerians.
“A lot of people ask whether we are hiring foreigners to manage this hotel, but we’ve made it clear no, we are only hiring Nigerians.
“Everyone working on this project, from contractors to engineers, are Nigerians. And when the hotel becomes operational, all staff will be Nigerians as well,” she affirmed
