Fourscore Homes has an enviable track record built by Osibona, better known as “Femi Fourscore”.
The company began its foray into real estate in the United Kingdom before branching out to South Africa and later Nigeria. In 2009, when Brig-General Buba Marwa (rtd) was the Nigerian High Commissioner in South Africa, Fourscore Homes built six luxury units called Fourscore Mansions in Waterkloof, a very expensive neighbourhood in Pretoria.
Osibona was also the first African developer to develop a seven-storey building in the United Kingdom. The property called Fourscore Mansion is located at 113, Albion Drive London Fields, E8, 4LZ, East London. Not only that, he was the first black developer of African origin to build other projects in the UK.
The company’s real estate business started in Hackney, London in 1997. “I was one of the people whose real estate developments led to the growth of East London. I bought a house on New Cross Road and renovated it. I also bought a piece of land behind it and built two flats there, and that is what I will call my first real estate project. That was how I started building houses for sale. Renowned Juju music maestro, Ebenezer Obey visited the property when he was in London.”
Osibona said prior to making a foray into real estate, he sold clothes and shoes for a living in London. “I started selling shoes in July 1991 after I finished my HND in the UK, and later sold suits but I stopped in 1998 and I started real estate development and purchase of property in 1997. The popular Pastor Ashimolowo never ceases to talk about the testimony and rise of Osibona. I also noticed that many Nigerians at that time were reluctant to go into construction but I believed anything was possible with God on my side.
“I built over 50 projects in London and Manchester and from there, went to South Africa where I built a number of estates.” After developing so many properties abroad, Osibona said he decided to come back to Nigeria to contribute positively to the nation’s real estate development.
Osibona also started building in Atlanta, Georgia, the USA in 2016. “In all the projects abroad, we buy land and develop and I am the builder, I don’t engage any builder. I was in Atlanta for only four months before I decided to buy land. It is the same procedure in housing development and if you have done it in one country, then you can do it in another because it is the same principle.”
Apart from developing residential homes, Fourscore also deals in residential light fittings and other building materials. “We are really passionate about value creation, we want everyone who purchases real estate from us to derive maximum value for their money. To achieve this, we go out of our way to ensure we chaperone the entire process from design to completion, ensuring that we adhere to best practices while minimising our costs. This way, we are able to deliver high-quality units at the best value for money.”
360° Towers are being built through venture capital funding and from off-plan sales, which is doing very well because of his company’s track record in the industry. The project is being developed by expatriate project managers, he pointed out, adding “2 of them are from England and two from South Africa.
-Culled From ThisDay
