Ronald Chagoury Jr.

Ronald Chagoury Jr. is the Vice Chairman of South Energyx Nigeria Limited, which is part of the Chagoury Group, a multinational business conglomerate based in Lagos, Nigeria. The company is currently working on Eko Atlantic, a new city construction project located on Victoria Island, adjacent to Lagos. As the Vice Chairman, Ronald Chagoury Jr. has remained a driving force behind some of the city’s key developments, including the Marina District of Eko Atlantic, an international hospital, international school and luxury shopping center. These features add value to not only investors but also the citizens of Nigeria, as the country represents one of the world’s last emerging growth markets. In that vein, Ronald Chagoury Jr. hopes to represent Africa in a positive, powerful light and demonstrate that Africa is a global power through innovative and prosperous projects like Eko Atlantic. Ronald Chagoury Jr. has been heavily involved in this high-tech project since 2008 when the land off of the coast of Lagos began being reclaimed. Eko Atlantic is a large scale development on Victoria Island, that will solve the real estate shortage facing the surrounding areas, as well as improving the quality of life for residents put Nigeria at the forefront of technological innovation in Africa. Unlike other smart cities around the world, the Eko Atlantic project creates an entire city from scratch, making sure every process is environmentally safe. The Eko Atlantic project had humble beginnings before it became a massive stretch of land, over 10 million square kilometers. Originally, the major concern was protecting Lagos from coastal erosion by creating a solid sea wall. For years, Lagos was subjected to dangerous storm surges that put the residents and property at risk. Over the course of a hundred years, the land that was originally off of the coast of Lagos has washed away and land depletion became a serious problem. As the seawall project was being planned by South Energyx Nigeria Limited, the idea came about that this project could actually be a positive catalyst for incredible change for not just Lagos, but Nigeria as a whole. In order to ensure that the reclaimed land could withstand immense and powerful storms, research was completed by world-renowned experts on the best way to go about this undertaking. The land was created by pumping land from the seafloor to the surface, and a substantial sea wall, called the Great Wall of Lagos, was constructed eight and a half meters above sea level and was tested by the world-renowned Danish Hydraulic Research Centre. The massive structure will not only protect Lagos, it will also protect Eko Atlantic from dangerous currents and waves. This project of reclamation and sustainability is designed with the future in mind. Ronald Chagoury Jr. is passionate about being a part of the Eko Atlantic project, which will provide a great service to the people of Nigeria by giving the growing middle class a place to work and live. The project will serve as a way to increase the available housing options for the people of Lagos, as there is currently a shortage of housing for the residents due to a rapidly increasing population. Current numbers show that the housing market only represents 0.5% of the Nigerian GDP, which equals to about $3 billion in mortgages per year. In contrast, the housing market contributes to nearly 22% of their national GDP, equaling $77 billion per year. The Eko Atlantic project will inadvertently affect these numbers in a positive way and will increase the availability of housing, not only to current residents but also for those choosing to move to the country. Eko Atlantic will also serve to provide a greener way of life for those who live and work in the city. Lagos is a major economic player in the Nigerian economy, serving as the backbone for manufacturing, agriculture, banking, mining, telecom, and the energy industry. Ronald Chagoury Jr., alongside the Chagoury Group, which aims to facilitate growth and expansion in Africa (particularly Nigeria), supports numerous industries such as those depicted above because of the influence of the Nigerian economy. The infrastructure of Lagos, although has improved in recent years, still has a way to go. With investments in the Eko Atlantic city, there is no reason that the economy will improve substantially, while also improving the economies of neighboring countries and even neighboring continents like Europe. Ronald Chagoury Jr. and South Energyx Nigeria Limited have been working with the Nigerian government on plans to improve the public transportation that is available in the country. Projects like the new railway and ferry system will work alongside the Eko Atlantic project, which is completely privately funded. Ronald Chagoury Jr. and his family have been in Nigeria for more than 40 years, allowing them to gain a deep understanding of how the country has evolved. Helping Lagos become a financial center for Sub-Saharan Africa, and eventually, the continent was a natural fit for the Chagoury Group. At their core, the Chagoury Group aims to dispel myths about Africa’s limitations when it comes to economic and structural growth. Ronald Chagoury Jr., at the head of the Eko Atlantic project, hopes that this new green city and all of its parts serve to support that goal.