Lekki Gardens spent its money on something it couldn't sell

Lekki Gardens made a choice that seemed foolish at the time. After fifteen years, the houses continue to sell. A young developer once had land in Ajah with plans for hundreds of new homes but little experience. Nobody knew who Lekki Gardens was, and the only way to get there was a muddy path that cars struggled through. The company only had enough funds for one thing.

They could either build prototype apartments for buyers to see and photograph, or they could construct a road. The obvious choice was to create a sample apartment. However, Lekki Gardens chose to build the road instead. On paper, it appeared that the company was spending its last resources on a gift. Surprisingly, buyers started arriving on the new road, viewing the empty plots and realizing that the road's existence suggested they could build their own homes.

The estate was expected to take three years to sell, but it was completely sold out in just three months. Lekki Gardens has since followed this formula in other locations as well. In Abuja, the company faced opposition from an established competitor trying to sell homes in a challenging area. Lekki Gardens did not start with a showcase home; instead, they built about a kilometer and a half of road and a bridge, completing both within six months.

Once the homes went on sale, a few hundred were sold within four months. The competitor followed suit by extending the road, resulting in the sale of the entire development. Lekki Gardens has since built numerous kilometers of roads and drainage across Lagos and Abuja, often considered ordinary work for a government ministry. However, these roads have become a habit for the company.

Directly employing over a thousand people and creating around fifteen thousand more jobs, Lekki Gardens has become a small economy. With nearly a hundred project sites underway across multiple cities, each with its own approvals, soil conditions, neighbors, and rainy seasons, the company's success relies heavily on discipline. The founder, Dr. Richard Nyong, emphasized that a home purchase is the most significant financial decision people make, and customers should never receive inadequate information.

Lekki Gardens provides buyers with a tangible asset they can drive on before asking for their life savings.