let's get acquainted

We can begin the introduction like most people do. Lookman Balogun (LB) is a highly sought after business leader and tycoon, founder and CEO of a tripartite business in hospitality industry valued at multimillion USD. While that is true, LB is many things, from a loving polygamous family of 5 wives and 10 children who grew up in Somolu, Lagos State, to a; self-made millionaire in USD, business leader, husband and father of 5, philanthropist who’s committed to improving lives and transforming the hospitality industry and around the world.

Nigeria-born and baked, LB began his career as a sales executive with J B Dodondawa Nigeria Limited in 1998, he spent most of his career life as a frontline worker relating with customers/clients, during his time as a property negotiator at MTN Nigeria his negotiation skills stood out among his peer and set him up for swift-early promotion in 2003 as a Regional Team Lead, and in 2006 he rose to the position of national collocation manager. Having experienced 3 major promotions in the space of 5yrs, served for years at the senior management level before resigning to offset his own company. He was dubbed customer’s HRM for his role in improving customers experience and ensuring customers optimal satisfaction.

Fresh out of school as a mass communications graduate equipped with relevant skills, at early age of 25 year in 1998, Lookman was offered the opportunity to become a sales executive at J B Dodondawa Nigeria Limited, making him one of the youngest sales executive in the country at the time, a position that was preparing him for an opportunity of a lifetime, he maintained the position before moving to Ladipo Adegbite & Co taking up the role of client service executive. It’s no longer a news that MTN came into Nigeria May 16, 2001. However, that date only portrays their first operational date, MTN was issued an operational license early 2001 but operations stalled till basic infrastructure was put in place, with the pressing need to set up her basic infrastructure MTN sourced for indigenous literates to value and negotiate the price of land to construct infrastructure with the owners/occupants after locating sites to construct their network infrastructure. Lookman applied and became one of MTN property negotiators banking on his wealth of experience in the customer service department in his previous jobs. With MTN’s zeal to expand its network throughout Nigeria after it became operational and the executive members’ satisfaction with his performance and success as negotiator he was made the regional site acquisition head a much bigger responsibility than mere negotiating. In this role he didn’t only negotiate he was also saddled with the responsibilities of - Managing site Acquisition regional team - Ensuring that regional leases are within the rental limit - Coordinating the Northern Regional Site Acquisition activities - Timely acquisition of Transmission sites - Verification of Title documents - Obtaining Planning Approvals for site build - Ensured regional target are met And other duties as specified in his job description. With a job well-done in that capacity he was singled out among 5 of his peers to be the acting national site acquisition head 2 years after and scaled to the position of site sharing manager before resigning to startup in late 2006.

In 2007, Lookman saw a white paper opportunity in his career sector and then resigned from his well-paid job to embark on his entrepreneurial journey so as to provide job opportunities for others while adding to the nation's GDP, “it was a hard choice to make and perhaps the hardest decision I ever made, people taught I was unreasonable-only few of my friends and family gave a positive nod, but who cares what anyone has to say? The opportunity I saw rejuvenated my childhood dream of being a business mogul and the chairman of a big conglomerate. I was only focused on the bigger picture that others said was insignificant at that point in time.” recalled Lookman when asked about what motivated him to quit a well-paid job to startup. Lookman equipped with intrapreneurship skills (the practice of applying entrepreneurial skills and approaches within an established company), He founded his first telecom consulting firm BUSRING NIGERIA LTD in 2007, a firm that assumes the duties of site acquisition for his previous company and letter formed Hedgecomtech Nigeria limited in 2010. Hedgecomtech is a fully licensed (by NCC) Collocation company. Hedgecomtech Nigeria limited had a JVC with JF&A Venture. A partnership which was able to build Telecom assets worth millions of USD. These assets were sold to ATCN in 2021 for an undisclosed fee. Lookman is the Founder/CEO of Ambience Group of Companies, a conglomerate that function in hospitality, foods and real estate. The companies, currently registered under the conglomerate are; Ambience Hotels & Resorts, Best Western Plus, Ikeja, Ambience Restaurant Uk and Ambience property Management, UK.