Nigeria’s largest real estate marketing company, Billionaires Realtors Group (BRG) Network, has successfully hosted the inaugural Africa Real Estate Innovation Summit of Excellence (ARISE Africa) 2026, bringing together leading real estate stakeholders from across the continent to explore innovative solutions, investment opportunities and strategic partnerships for Africa’s rapidly expanding property market.
The summit, held recently at Eko Hotels and Suites, marked a significant milestone for the company as it also commemorated the 10th anniversary of Billionaires Realtors Group, a company that has transformed lives through the training, development and empowerment of professionals whose wealth stories have been significantly shaped by opportunities within the real estate sector.
Speaking at the event, the President of Billionaires Realtors Group, Dr. Emmanuel Abikoye, said ARISE Africa represents something much bigger, noting that Africa cannot be built by one profession alone. He said the continent requires entrepreneurs, developers, bankers, technology innovators, farmers and policymakers whose ideas and expertise can provide solutions to challenges across Africa.
“Our biggest achievement is the transformation of lives. We built BRG not solely to sell real estate, but to build people, create access and democratise opportunities—to show that an ordinary person, with the right relationships and the willingness to work, can produce extraordinary outcomes,” Dr. Abikoye stated.
Delivering the keynote address, the President of the Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria (REDAN), His Royal Highness, Oba Akintoye Adeoye, said the major challenge facing real estate development across Africa is not simply the availability of land, capital or demand, but the strength, credibility and effectiveness of the institutions responsible for governing the sector.
“The future of African real estate will not be decided by how many buildings we construct. It will be decided by whether we build the institutions that turn those buildings into productive, inclusive, investable and enduring cities. It is the institutions we build that will shape our prosperity,” Oba Adeoye added.
The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by the Lagos State Commissioner for Housing, Hon. Moruf Akinderu Fatai, said the next frontier of African real estate will be shaped by innovation. According to him, innovation is changing how transactions are managed, how real estate is financed, how cities are planned, and how new opportunities can be created to reduce the cost of putting a roof over the heads of average African families.
“Our administration has delivered 10,000 new homes across the state through direct government investment and public-private partnerships. We have strengthened data-driven planning, encouraged constructive innovation and deepened partnerships with professional bodies and academia because the cities of tomorrow will be built as much with ideas as with cement,” he emphasised.
Also speaking at the summit, the Board Chairman of Billionaires Realtors Group, Dr. Niyi Adesanya, disclosed that real estate is no longer simply a property business. According to him, it is increasingly a business driven by ecosystems, technology, capital, data, trust and experience. He therefore urged the next generation of real estate professionals to move beyond merely selling properties and focus on solving problems.
“At BRG, we recognise that the future of African real estate cannot be built in isolation. It will require stronger collaboration between capital and ideas, technology and traditional expertise, government and the private sector, established professionals and the next generation,” Dr. Adesanya said.
Another guest speaker, the Managing Director of the National Housing Corporation, Kenya, QS David Mathu Njuguna, urged African countries to reduce their reliance on imported construction materials, particularly from China. According to him, as long as African countries continue to depend heavily on imported construction materials, achieving affordable housing across the continent will remain a major challenge.
A key takeaway from the summit was that while the demand for housing across Africa continues to rise, delivery remains constrained by affordability challenges, limited access to finance, land and infrastructure deficits, rising construction costs and regulatory bottlenecks.
Speakers at the summit also emphasised that real estate does not thrive on investment alone; it flourishes where there is policy certainty, transparent regulation, secure land administration and the confidence that agreements and contracts will be respected.
Stakeholders at one of the panel sessions agreed that Africa’s proptech ecosystem presents both enormous opportunities and significant complexities. They noted that Africa must address issues surrounding infrastructure, digital access, data protection, regulation, financing, trust and the capacity of traditional real estate businesses to embrace technological change.
The Co-founder of Billionaires Realtors Group, Hon. Gbenga Adeleke, spoke about some of the challenges the company has faced over the past decade. According to him, one of the most difficult aspects of building the business was managing people, maintaining relationships with developers while scaling the organisation, and making the right decisions about mentorship.
In his closing remarks, the Chairman of the Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria (REDAN), Lagos Chapter, Dr. Tony Aspire Kolawole, thanked all the stakeholders who contributed to the success of the event. He stated that the summit had fulfilled its objective of serving as a landmark gathering of visionary leaders, investors, developers, policymakers, innovators and industry professionals committed to shaping the future of real estate on the continent.
Other notable speakers and guests at the summit included Barr. Festus Adebayo, Olufemi Adewole, Hon. Sylvester Ogunkelu, Odupe Olalekan, Marco Silabi, Ugochukwu Obi-Chukwu, Akin Opatola, Chude Osiegbu, Nnamdi Uba, Tope Mark-Odigie, Sade Hughes, Christian Agossa, Dr. Roland Igbinoba, Zachary Kanyatta Munene, Kunle Adeyemi, Olisa Umerah, Dr. Adeniyi Adeyemi, Dr. Simon Nwachukwu, Dr. David Asogba, Dr. JohnPaul Enemuoh, Dr. Wale Ponnle and Dr. Endurance Agono.
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