Buying a yacht is a big deal, and its maintenance is bigger, since such exquisite boats are built with state-of-the-art technology that is easily not accessed. Small wonder, only true men of means acquire these boats. In this report, Assistant Life Editor, TERH AGBEDEH, looks at some of these men and their boats
Femi Otedola and daughter, DJ Cuppy, on his yacht
In a recent interview, the Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Alfred Adewale Martins, told TheNiche that the Pope has no private jet. He was responding to a question about materialism among church leaders and consequently in present-day society.
“The Queen of England, the Prime Minister of England, and even Pope Francis do not have private jets; they use commercial flights. If a person believes he needs a private jet, that is his own personal or private attitude or need. It is not a reference to the church,” he said.
Martins was echoing what the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto, Matthew Hassan Kukah, said in 2012 that the acquisition of private jets by Christian leaders diminishes the moral voice of the church in the fight against corruption. Kukah was specifically referring to the presentation of a private jet to the President of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, by members of his church during the celebration of his 40th anniversary in the ministry that year.
The CAN president is just one among the many men of the cloth who own private jets in the country. Perhaps to standout from the crowd of private jet owners or just plain show off, those who can are adding yachts to their fleet of luxury items. Thus, there is one more craze among the wealthy these days; it is for gleaming yachts.
Talking about yachts, Steve Jobs died before he laid eyes on the one he so painstakingly designed. But not Nigerian men and women of means; it seems they just can’t wait to splurge all that money on luxuries like yachts. A look at the Lagos coastline presents the wonders on water.
The names on the certificates on these yachts read like the register at a conference of business moguls. Such names include Dehinde Fernandez credited as one of the richest men Africa has bestowed on the world; Jim Ovia, the former banker who is said to have built The Civic Centre on Ozumba Mbadiwe waterfront, just so he could have a roost for his many boats. There are also Aliko Dangote, Femi Otedola and a host of others.
For those of them who have not built havens for their expensive boats, there is the Lagos Motor Boat Club and the Lagos Yacht Club. The latter, which membership is open to yacht enthusiastic for a token, is not for folks like these ones for which ownership of the yacht is a pastime most of them go to when they take time off their dealings – the same deals that run into millions of dollars which these rich and famous continue to find creative ways to spend.
Fernandez, for instance, is said to have many more boats than any other mentioned in this write-up. The luxurious lifestyle of the Baron of Dudley, among many other titles, came out of the imagination of a creative writer. His beautiful yachts are designed specifically to suit his out-of-this-world taste.
Since before retiring as managing director/chief executive officer of Zenith Bank, Ovia had been leading a life of luxury – particularly basking in his love for beautifully-designed boats. He is a member of the prestigious Lagos Motor Boat Club.
Dangote is well known around the world for his industry, resulting in Forbes magazine naming him one of the richest in the world. He spends that wealth taking very good care of himself and is among select Nigerians who have all the luxury one could ask for from life, including a gleaming yacht called Mariya. He took delivery of the multi-billion naira boat early last year.
One look at billionaire businessman, Mike Adenuga (Jr.), at Banana Island and it is not difficult to define what true luxury is. Said to have the most land on that island, he also has a very impressive yacht deck for his specially-built yacht. Not counting the luxury duplexes and helipad on the roof of the main building.
Otedola’s yacht sits pretty and black on the Lagos lagoon. The son of the former Lagos State Governor, Michael Otedola, is the chief executive officer of Forte Oil Plc and the only other Nigerian businessman listed by Forbes in 2009 as one of the world’s richest men.
