Meet Obinna Okwodu, the man who is eliminating the barriers that make it difficult for young people to find homes and live in major cities in Nigeria.
Oh boy, let me tell you, finding a place to live in Nigeria’s bustling cities, especially Lagos, is no joke! It’s like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Seriously, it’s one of the most challenging things about living in this country. Never mind. Finding a place to live is a piece of cake. Moving into your house can feel like a never-ending obstacle course of (un)necessary steps.
It’s like a never-ending game of ping-pong with agents, followed by a never-ending list of things to fix or complain about in the house. It’s a real rollercoaster of fun! And then, you get to experience the joy of paying the infamous “agent and agreement” fee. Believe it or not, there are actually two fees involved here: the agent fee and the agreement fee. Believe it or not, these sneaky fees can add up to a whopping 50% of your rent. Yikes!
And in most cases, you got to pay over two years’ worth of payment upfront. Ouch!
This week, Obinna Okwodu, our #TNTMCM, decided to shake things up and build a business that’s set to turn heads. The founder of Fibre, an e-real estate company, is a Massachusetts Institute of Technology Civil Engineering and Management Science alum. Their mission is to make it easier for young people to find homes and live in major cities in Nigeria.
“We make living easier so you can focus on building your life,” declares the company’s mission statement with a wink and a nudge.
Obinna, the mastermind behind Fibre since mid-2016, humorously revealed to the Guardian Nigeria that the company raked in a whopping N450 million in revenue in 2017.
With Fibre, you have the freedom to choose how long you want to stay, whether it’s a quick 3 months or a more leisurely 12 months. Plus, they make paying a breeze! Not only does it offer the option to shack up with verified housemates, but it also helps cut down on expenses. Talk about a win-win situation!
