Adeyemi A. Ademola is reimagining how Africans can live better through The BIG BUILD Company’s progressive housing concept, championing spaces that grow with people’s progress and potential.
For over a decade, Adeyemi A. Ademola watched a strange pattern unfold: friends earning more money, yet moving into smaller homes. Progressing from spacious old flats in Surulere to shoebox apartments in Lekki, success somehow meant less space. That contradiction sparked a question that wouldn’t leave him: what if homes grew with people, not against them?
Today, Ademola is the founder of The BIG BUILD Company, pioneering a revolutionary concept called “Builds” – progressive housing that grows with people’s economic journey rather than shrinking as they succeed. In a country where millions lack adequate housing despite a thriving real estate sector, his
approach is challenging everything the industry believes about space, success, and what people actually need.
The Birth of Progressive Housing
“I couldn’t understand why success meant settling for less space,” Ademola says from his Lagos office, surrounded by building plans and design sketches. “That’s when I realised we weren’t building for people – we were building for maximised profit per square metre.”
The idea crystallised after years of observation. Africa is urbanising faster than any other continent, yet in cities like Lagos, Nairobi, and Accra, housing models haven’t kept pace. “We’re copying Western density without adapting it to local needs or economic realities. The result? A real estate boom that excludes the very people it should empower.”
The BIG BUILD Company exists to make space work harder for people. The “Builds” concept is bold: instead of newer meaning smaller and more expensive, they’ve created a progression system where each Build reflects different life stages.
Build 1 targets young professionals with spaces 3X more spacious than typical entry-level housing, featuring modular design and smart features. Build 2 offers 10X more amenities and space for growing families. Eventually, Build 3 provides 15X more expansive living for established professionals.
Each Build incorporates core principles: modular spaces that remove boundaries between living and working, integrated green spaces where nature flows into daily experience, smart technology that optimises energy and reduces costs, and community-oriented design that fosters genuine connections.
Breaking Industry Mindsets
The hardest part hasn’t been the design – it’s changing an entire industry’s mindset. “Everyone’s focused on cramming as many units as possible into developments,” Ademola explains. “But we want to prove that giving people space to breathe and grow creates more loyal, long-term value.”
His typical day reflects this mission. Starting at 6 AM with functional fitness (designing spaces requires physical stamina and mental clarity), he spends mornings developing the Builds concept – still in the testing and championing phase. The team studies how people actually live, not how they think they should live.
Afternoons involve stakeholder meetings with investors, potential residents, and curious developers. Much time is spent evangelising the idea that success should mean more space, not less. Evenings often find him at construction sites, observing what works and what doesn’t.
A Continental Vision
Looking ahead, Ademola’s ambition extends beyond Nigeria. The BIG BUILD Company aims to become synonymous with progressive living across Africa, exploring how the Builds concept can adapt to different cities – Accra’s urban sprawl, Nairobi’s vertical growth, and Cape Town’s geographic constraints.
“My ultimate vision is bigger than real estate. I want to change how Africans see success itself. Success shouldn’t mean cramming into smaller spaces. It should mean expanding into environments that unlock your full potential.”
His success principles emphasise genuine care for people, incredible attention to detail, authentic networking, and adaptability to Nigeria’s rapidly changing real estate market.
“Imagine a continent where your housing reflects your ambitions, not just your current bank account. Where young professionals have clear pathways from Build 1 to Build 3. Where neighbourhoods are designed for human flourishing, not just individual accumulation.”
That’s the Africa Adeyemi A. Ademola is building for; one space at a time.
