‘This is beginning,’ Soun says, as he commissions 5-star hotel, innovation hub
Femi OGUNLANA
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The vision to transform Ogbomoso into a model city receives further boost Saturday as two hubs of economic activities were proudly commissioned in the city by the Soun, His Imperial Majesty Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye Orumogege III.
The two centres, the Dreamz Suites & Hotels and Ennovate Lab, are both situated along old Ilorin road.
Commissioning the hotel located at a prime area in Aroje, the Soun enthused it was the beginning of great, amazing things to come to Ogbomoso. He said the project which began before his enthronement was almost abandoned but that his efforts in canvassing Ogbomoso people in the diaspora to return home to establish businesses revived the interest of the US-based owner, Mr. Olufemi Leke, assuring the gateway of developments is being opened and will lead to the desired transformation.
“I am happy to be here,” Oba Olaoye had stated. “This is dream come true. We first met in New York some years ago and he shared this dream but he was not enthusiastic again so to say. But l told him l would be Oba and l would commission the hotel. That gave the needed spark to completing the project.
“I believe this is the beginning of several things that will happen in Ogbomoso. We are just starting, more amazing things will come up in this town.”
He now told the hotel CEO, “You are an inspiration, l can tell you l am impressed.”
The traditional ruler, a businessman himself, advised the hotelier to maintain high standards, have zero tolerance for fraudulent staff and to try as much as possible to make transactions cashless to reduce sharp practices. He however urged him to pay his staff well and learn to compensate them.
“Maintain high standard, have zero tolerance for fraudulent practices, make transactions as cashless as possible and pay your workers well. Compensate diligence, let them feel the impact of the business doing well. Engage them, don’t do master-servant relationship but relate with them with honours. Maintaining standards is a difficult thing but it is not an impossible thing,” Oba Olaoye said.
The hotelier, Mr. Femi Leke, thanking the Oba, said he had been impressed by Oba Olaoye since the first time he got introduced to him in New York, USA, informing many Ogbomoso indigenes in the diaspora have bought into the idea of investing at home. “I can tell you we have a whole army coming over. That is what we in the diaspora discuss nowadays,” he confidently stated.
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Writing on the event later the Soun in a social media post stated, “This morning, I was filled with joy as I and my entourage was at the grand opening of Dreamz Suites & Hotel in Ogbomoso.
“What makes this moment special is not just the beauty of the structure, but the heart behind it. I met the visionary behind the hotel in New York while sharing my 25-year developmental blueprint for Ogbomosoland — and he caught the vision. He wasn’t just inspired to build a hotel… he was moved to build excellence.
“Today, I saw excellence. I was deeply impressed by the standard — it speaks of the Ogbomoso we are building together: world-class, forward-thinking, and rooted in values.
“This is just the beginning of what’s coming to Ogbomosoland. We are attracting visionaries, builders, and doers. Ogbomoso is rising — and everyone who aligns with purpose, discipline, and excellence will rise with it.”
Also speaking at the commissioning of the Ennovate Lab located at the former Coca cola depot near LAUTECH, the Soun assured the founders, “We will support your vision.” He reiterated more “amazing things” are coming to the town.
Ennovate lab, founded in November 2017 by four friends, Jesudamilare Adesegun-David, Chima Omike, Pelumi Igunnubolei and Ijeoma Nwawka, is an innovation hub that seeks to promote innovation and enterprise thinking and success in underserved university communities, according to information gleaned from its website.
It further states, “Our vision is captured within these three prongs: Innovation Hub, Startup Foundry and Seed Fund.
“As an innovation hub, we are committed to building resilient innovation ecosystems in underserved university communities. As a startup foundry, we build borderless solutions for communities by communities and as a seed fund, we reach beyond our portcos to become the first to write cheques for promising startups in our host communities.”
This is as it stresses, “Our goal is to decentralize and democratize access to opportunity and resources in underserved communities by leveraging assets within those communities especially their human capital and the presence of university institutions.”
It will promote such values as creativity, empathy, camaraderie, integrity, inclusiveness and grit.
Volunteers, developers, storytellers, creative designers, urban agriculturist, online community managers, social media managers, content creators are part of the centre’s human resources and it has hubs in the US, UK and some other Western countries.
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A representative of the organisation challenged Ogbomoso people to “keep this movement going in Ogbomoso. Build the community together, invest here together. By this, employment will be created in Ogbomoso, businesses will come and thrive.”
Recall that in recent times businesses are springing up in the town among which are the opening of a depot of Prestige Paints Lagos, and the inauguration of Yajifarz Foundation Cup, which is ongoing with the sponsor saying he is working on bringing his business to Ogbomoso as well. There have been other developmental projects like the plan to set up a large-hectared sweet potato farm, road constructions, establishment of a monothecnic on cultural studies and so on.
ogbomosoinsightonline.com can authoritatively state other “goodies” are on their way to the ancient town.
