Lagos’s shortlet market is becoming an increasingly important part of the city’s hospitality and real estate economy. As travellers, business professionals, returning diaspora visitors and residents seek alternatives to traditional hotels, entrepreneurs are building accommodation brands around comfort, privacy, convenience and personalised service. From luxury furnished apartments to thoughtfully managed urban residences, these five founders are contributing to the evolution of shortlet hospitality in Lagos.
1. Bukola Animashaun (Luxury Shortlets Lagos)
Bukola Animashaun is Co-founder of Luxury Shortlets Global Limited, a Nigerian accommodation and property management business serving guests seeking furnished apartments in Lagos and Abuja. Working alongside her sister, Bisola Animashaun, she has helped develop a business model focused on connecting guests with shortlet accommodation while managing properties for owners. The company’s reported expansion reflects the growing demand for professionally managed apartments in Nigeria’s major cities, where travellers increasingly value the privacy and flexibility of residential accommodation alongside hotel-style convenience.
2. Babajide Oluremilekun A (LéBoa’s Apartments)
Babajide Oluremilekun A. is the founder of LéBoa’s Apartments, a Lagos shortlet business that began four years ago with a single one-bedroom apartment in Lekki. His ambition was straightforward: to make every guest’s stay comfortable, convenient and worry-free. By prioritising reliable power supply, fast Wi-Fi and attentive housekeeping, he built the business around the practical details that can define a guest’s experience. What started as one apartment has since expanded into multiple homes across Lagos.
Based in Chicago, Babajide maintains a strong connection to Nigeria through the business he has built. His approach reflects the opportunities available to diaspora entrepreneurs investing in Nigeria’s hospitality and property sectors, combining a clear service philosophy with a growing portfolio of furnished accommodation. As LéBoa’s Apartments continues to expand, his focus remains on improving the guest experience, growing the brand and welcoming more visitors seeking a comfortable place to stay in Lagos.
3. Okolo Amanda (Amanda Residence)
Okolo Amanda is the founder of Amanda Residence, a shortlet brand operating within Lagos’s expanding furnished accommodation market. The business reflects the growing appeal of residential hospitality, where guests can enjoy the comfort and privacy of an apartment while accessing accommodation for short visits, business trips and longer stays. Through Amanda Residence, Okolo participates in a competitive market increasingly shaped by property presentation, location, guest service and the overall quality of the stay.
4. Engineer Adebolu Mayowa (Crestville Lux)
Engineer Adebolu Mayowa is an entrepreneur and real estate professional who leads Crestville Lux, alongside his roles as Founder and CEO of Assethaus, AM Realty and Crestville. His work across these businesses reflects a broader interest in property investment, real estate development and premium accommodation. Through Crestville Lux, Mayowa operates within Lagos’s growing shortlet market, where demand for well-appointed furnished apartments continues to create opportunities at the intersection of real estate and hospitality. His multi-business portfolio positions him within a new generation of Nigerian entrepreneurs exploring how property assets can serve both investment objectives and the evolving needs of modern travellers.
5. Amarachi Odife (Amarlux Shortlet)
Amarachi Odife is the founder of Amarlux Shortlet, a hospitality brand serving the furnished accommodation market in Lagos. Her business operates within a sector shaped by changing travel habits, rising demand for flexible stays and the appeal of private residential spaces for business and leisure visitors. As Lagos continues to attract professionals, tourists and Nigerians returning from abroad, shortlet brands such as Amarlux are positioned to serve guests seeking convenience, privacy and a more personalised accommodation experience.
Methodology
This selection features five founders and shortlet brands, focusing on their involvement in Lagos’s furnished accommodation and hospitality market. The profiles consider business positioning, guest experience, property management and the entrepreneurial vision behind each brand.
