By 
Kindly introduce yourself
I’m Mall. Bashir A. Yusuf, founder and Chief Executive Officer of Estate Code Nigeria Limited, a high-profile company that provides integrated real estate solutions, which include brokerage, management, design and development of homes and offices across the country. The company has recently added construction and investment as part of its core areas of business.
What did you study?
I studied Accounting for my Higher National Diploma (HND), but after I identified a career in the real estate industry, I have been upgrading myself with more relevant qualifications and knowledge in the industry. Presently, I’m a certified Project Manager and a Member of the Global Institute of Project Management, among others.
Why did you decide to go into the real estate business?
I think I have to thank you, especially for this question. I always see myself as someone who can add value and create opportunities wherever I am, no matter how tough the situation. So that was the driving force when I was thinking of going into the business world. I saw a lot of opportunities in the real estate industry and also discovered so many challenges. Then I made up my mind to join forces with other reputable players in the industry to solve the problem of the housing deficit in the country and beyond. I also moved with my determination of creating an organized and well-planned society, by designing cities that can compete with what we used to see in the west. That was my dream as a growing-up kid.
When was your company founded?
Estate Code was founded in 2014. Although, I did not start my real estate business with Estate Code. I started with Continental Crown International (CCI), the business I registered in 2008.
What has it been like as an entrepreneur/ Business owner in Nigeria?
It’s an undeniable fact that doing business in Nigeria involves a lot of ups and downs. You have to battle with many factors. So, there are general challenges and some specific ones that are only peculiar to our industry. But, we thank God for seeing us through and keeping us going. We’re not just going, but we’re growing the industry with our God-giving ingenuity and dexterity. All praises are due to Him alone.
How did you raise funding for your venture?
No doubt in the fact that funding is one of the areas that has been making business looks like a tough adventure in this part of the world. No one can deny the fact that our financial institutes are not flexible enough to give the needed financial backing to businesses, particularly real estate, that is capital intensive. So, some of the funds we have been using are largely raised through collaboration, profit from investment and other related sources. Lately, the company is considering taking advantage of one of the investment financing windows in one of the Non-interest banks in the country. Because of our business philosophy as an ethical company.
Do you think real estate business operations in Nigeria and Abuja, in particular, has significantly improved or otherwise?
Yes, of course, over time, the real estate industry has experienced a significant market expansion. There are several innovations and advancements in the business and Abuja has remained one of the major hubs when comes to real estate development in Nigeria. Over the years, the industry has been contributing to the national GDP and fighting the problem of a huge housing deficit in the country. Although we still have a long way to go, if truly we must overcome the housing deficit challenges in Nigeria. Notwithstanding, the industry is expanding rapidly, most especially in the face of innovation and technological advancement in home delivery.
Why are there so many unoccupied estates while many people are unhoused?
Honestly speaking, it doesn’t help the industry to have such unproductive buildings around, especially where we have several numbers of people crying for shelter. There are a couple of factors, such as litigation, inheritance crisis and economic situation, among others, that largely contribute to such an unproductive venture.
One of the best solutions to this situation is for the government to acquire the buildings from their owners and resell them to workers and other low-income earners under its mass housing scheme. No doubt in the fact that such uncompleted and abandon buildings constitute security challenges within the Federal Capital.
What is unique about your company?
Proudly speaking, there are a lot of things that make us stand out, but let me speak specifically on our business philosophy as an ethical company. It’s obviously clear that the company’s choice of striving to earn a reputation as an ethical business is noble, but it requires commitment and that is what we’re ready to give. Most companies in the both real estate and construction industries are financially driven, but Estate Code understands that it is possible to be both ethical and successful. But there is a fine line between making choices for financial gain and making choices that will not adversely affect others. Estate Code knows the difference.
The culture of ethical practice is defined starting from the very top of the company’s management. The leader of the Estate Code demonstrates ethical practices in every situation, particularly in the decision-making process when there is a choice between what is ethically responsible and what will result in more profit or gain.The company always consciously chooses the path that is ethically correct, as opposed to one that is purely financially driven. This is possible because Estate Code has successfully created an ethical culture in the business and when the culture is solid at the top of the organization, it trickles down to all areas and employees.
Estate Code has concern for anyone and anything impacted by its business. This includes customers, employees, vendors, and the public. Every decision made by the company is based on the effect it may have on any one of these groups of people, or the environment surrounding it. That is why the company implements strict policies and procedures regarding ethical issues.
What was your mission at the start of the business and what are your future expansion plans?
Thank you very much for this question. Starting from the point of incorporation, our mission for the company is to make it a global brand, and that has been our mission. In a few years from now, we are expecting Estate Code to be a major provider of shelters, not only in Nigeria but also across major African countries. If a foreigner can come to Africa to invest in our (I mean Africa’s) real estate industry, so, what about we Africans? We can as well move our brands across African borders. That is our vision and that is our dream. Therefore, we have set out to cover many countries in Africa in the nearest future, by the special grace of God. As you all know, a tree can never make a forest. I have been enjoying overwhelming support from both the management and staff of the company. From our Executive Director of Operation, Mall Kazeem Ishaq to every other individual, who has been making it possible to achieve the company’s vision, I want to say a big congratulation to all of us on the progress achieved so far.
What is your advice to aspiring entrepreneurs?
One of the core principles of becoming a successful entrepreneur in a very difficult business environment like ours is to be perseverance. Consistency and commitment are other key factors. That means, you may try it several times and not succeed, but don’t quit. Please keep trying. The road to success, never promises to be rosy. You must confront troubles and difficulties, which is why success is not for everybody. But never allow that to pull you down.
Anytime you see 100 people starting a business in Nigeria, you can try to check back after 10 years. You can only find less than 10 of them running, with some of them crawling. That is the reality of the present situation. As a business coach and thought leader in the industry, I have been counselling a lot of young men on how to succeed in real estate investment and even start floating their real estate companies and I used to picture the reality to them. In my final opinion, starting a business in Nigeria may be a very difficult adventure. Nevertheless, if done with a proper plan, clear strategy and reasonable sense of perseverance, it can be a rewarding and lucrative way of building sustainable wealth, due to our growing market that has become a centre of attraction to foreign investors.
In what ways do you think Government can help improve access to housing in Abuja?
Government has a lot of roles to play in order to reduce the huge current housing deficit and improve the accessibility to housing in Nigeria, not even only in Abuja. Their involvement starts from policy evaluation to the provision of flexible home financing as well as encouragement of local manufacturing of building materials with incentives and social amenities like steady power supply and good road networks among others.
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