The Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Sujimoto Group, Sijibomi Ogundele, has been named among Nigeria’s Top 100 Trailblazers by Daily Times Nigeria as the newspaper marks its 100th anniversary.
Ogundele, popularly known as Sujimoto, is listed alongside prominent political, business and community figures in the recognition, which forms part of activities marking a century of the newspaper’s contribution to Nigeria’s media landscape and national development.
The Daily Times Nigeria Trailblazer Awards is scheduled to hold on Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
Other personalities listed for recognition include President Bola Tinubu and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who are billed to receive Prestige Honours.
The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, is expected to receive the Community Impact Award, while the Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria, Dr Karl Toriola, will be honoured with the Digital Company of the Decade Award.
Reacting to the recognition, Ogundele described it as a call to greater responsibility, innovation and value creation. He also expressed appreciation to Daily Times for the honour, noting that being recognised by a media organisation that has documented Nigeria’s history for 100 years made the award particularly meaningful.
He said the recognition would encourage him to continue challenging conventional limits and exploring new possibilities.
The honour comes amid Sujimoto’s activities in Nigeria’s luxury real estate sector, including the development of LucreziaBySujimoto, a high-end residential project in Banana Island, Lagos, which faced significant setbacks and financial difficulties.
The company has since continued its development ambitions with Isabella de’ Medici by Sujimoto, a proposed 49-storey luxury hotel project expected to feature premium suites, an architectural façade, a hanging infinity pool and other hospitality facilities.
Founded in 2013, Sujimoto has focused on high-end property development, with Ogundele identifying innovation, integrity and excellence as the principles guiding the company.
He described the recognition as both humbling and inspiring, saying it had strengthened his resolve to create greater value and pursue what he calls the “Spirit of Possibility”.
Ogundele added that, despite the milestones recorded so far, he believed he had yet to explore 10 per cent of his potential. He said the honour would motivate him to pursue bigger ambitions and remain committed to delivering more impactful projects.
He concluded with his trademark expression: “1+1 is still 11. It is already too late to fail.”
