With a rich professional background comprising banking, entrepreneurship, construction and property development, Babatunde Surakat, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Ridgewell Construction Company Limited, brings a commercially driven approach to business leadership, strategic growth and value creation.

He holds a B.Sc. in Business Management and Information Technology from the University of Plymouth, UK, an MBA and MSc from the University of Wales, and is an alumnus of Harvard Business School and Lagos Business School. He has also held leadership and board positions across businesses in construction, facilities management, logistics and procurement.

His professional interests include real estate development, construction, investment, entrepreneurship, leadership development and building sustainable businesses across Africa. His company, Ridgewell Construction, is a Nigerian construction and real estate development company, that continues to make its mark in Nigeria’s housing sector.

This year, Mr. Babatunde Surakat being one of the country’s highly resourceful, ambitious and fast-rising entrepreneurs recognised by The Guardian as one of the “Sixty (60) Most Inspiring, Visionary, and Transformative leaders That Shaped Nigeri’a Economic Growth In 2026”.

When describing the intrinsic motivation and greatest passion that has brought him far in your business career, he noted that “For me, it has always been about building something meaningful. I have always wanted to create a business that goes beyond profit — one that solves real problems, creates opportunities and leaves something valuable behind. What I enjoy about construction and real estate is that you can actually see the impact of your work. You are creating homes, communities and assets that become part of people’s lives.”

“Ultimately, my passion is to build a company that creates value, develops people and stands for quality and integrity”, he added.

Concerning what inspired Ridgewell Construction Company Limited to go into its key business areas, and the company’s impact and contribution to Nigeria’s GDP in the year under review, Babatunde disclosed that “Rdgewell started with renovation and subcontracting, and those early experiences gave us a strong foundation in construction. As we grew, we saw an opportunity to take greater responsibility for the entire development process, from design and construction to delivery and facility management. I believe a successful development is about more than just the building. It is about design, quality, functionality and the overall client experience.

Our contribution to the economy is also reflected in the jobs and opportunities created across architects, engineers, artisans, suppliers, contractors and other professionals involved in our projects.”

He highlighted some of the key projects that have shaped the company’s growth especially the earlier developments which include “Destiny Terraces, Brickell Terraces, Cromwell 1 Terraces and Cromwell 2 Terraces. These projects gave us valuable experience and helped us strengthen our systems. More recently, we have delivered Rosewood One and Rosewood Two, while our current portfolio includes Oakwood, Lennox, Forney Residence and Astoria, alongside individual apartment developments.

For me, every project is an opportunity to learn, improve and raise our standards. That has been a major part of Ridgewell’s growth.”

In his words, “What makes Ridgewell different, particularly in quality assurance and global best practice starts with the standards we set for ourselves. We take quality, delivery, teamwork and client’s satisfaction very seriously.

Personally, I believe your reputation is built one project at a time, so we pay attention to every stage —from planning and design to materials, construction, supervision and delivery. We also embrace technology, professional expertise and processes that reflect global best practice, while adapting them to the Nigerian environment. At the end of the day, I want our clients to be confident not only in what we build, but in how we do business.”

Speaking on the major challenges facing entrepreneurs in Nigeria today, and how entrepreneurs like him have been navigating through them, the award-winning real estate expert explained that “Doing business in Nigeria requires resilience and adaptability.

In construction, we deal with rising costs, inflation, foreign exchange volatility, financing constraints and infrastructure challenges. We manage these through careful planning, financial discipline, strong procurement and continuous project monitoring.

Similarly, we understand the importance of having good people and strong relationships with our clients, consultants, contractors and suppliers. The environment will continue to change, so our focus is to remain adaptable without compromising our standards.”

For the long-term vision for Ridgewell Construction Company Limited, he said “Our vision is “To be recognised as a foremost construction and development company in Africa using our expertise and experience.” My long-term goal is to build Ridgewell into a company that is recognised not only in Nigeria, but eventually in the global market.

For me, growth is not just about having more projects. It is about building the right people, systems and capacity to sustain that growth. I want Ridgewell to be known for quality, integrity and excellence, while creating opportunities and developing people. Most importantly, I want to build an institution that can outlive me and leave a lasting impact on the built environment.”