Gtext Holdings, a Nigerian real estate and investment firm, has announced plans to attempt a new Guinness World Record (GWR) for the largest real estate conference ever held in a tent.
At a joint press conference in Lagos on Friday, attended by PREMIUM TIMES, Gtext Holdings, the parent company of Gtext Homes and Gtext Land, said the initiative aims to showcase Nigeria’s growing influence in the global real estate sector.
|
|
According to GWR, the current record is held by AYS Developers, Innovation Experts Real Estate Institute, and Nour ElSerougy (all based in the UAE), in Dubai on 31 May 2025.
That event gathered 912 participants for a free training session focused on off-plan sales and the Dubai 2040 Vision.
|
|
|---|
Gtext Holdings revealed that its record-breaking attempt is scheduled for 20 December 2025. The company expects more than 10,000 people to attend in person, with a further 100,000 participants joining virtually worldwide.
Speaking at the press conference, Stephen Akintayo, Chairperson of SACI Holdings and founder of Gtext Holdings, said the record attempt was designed to position Nigeria at the forefront of international real estate dialogue.
He added that the initiative would also help clarify key property market issues and boost sector confidence.
He said, “We are attempting a world record for the largest real estate conference in the world in a tent. The current largest is 2,500, and that’s in Dubai.
Ours is a bit more in between because it’s now in a ten,t and that one’s just the largest real estate conference, and it’s 2,500. We’re targeting 10,000 participants.
It’s a real estate festival event. The conference starts in the morning, 10 a.m., and ends around 3 p.m., and the party will last until about 7 p.m., celebrating.
“That’s where we’re now wrapping up our 10th anniversary in the construction business, and it will take place at a flagship estate called Jasper in Gardinia, in Lagos, in a Lekki town.
So, because we needed to design a tent that could accommodate 10,000 people, we needed enough parking space, and no event centre could accommodate such a large number of people. So to really attempt such a record, you need to go a bit out of scale. But it’s good because we will also project what’s happening on the axis.”
Decade of innovation
The 39-year-old further revealed that the attempt would feature a free trade zone, provision of food for attendees, and other activities.
He explained that the conference, which coincides with the company’s 10th anniversary, would not only celebrate a decade of innovation and strategic growth but also serve as a platform to promote sustainable development, networking, and investment opportunities.
“A free trade zone, a seaport, and an airport are also coming in, so to project that aspect of Lagos and its beauty, people will also see that particular estate and our vision for that estate. Our vision is to partner with two other bosses and provide food for 10,000 people. We’re also going to target 100,000 actual attendees from all over the world.
“Mass market, retail market, because a lot of the people there, there’s a lot of. You can do a lot of product partnerships for people to test your product and get an idea of it. So we’re willing to work with other real estate companies that can partner with us on this, but we need to work with as many people as possible who want to work with us on this.
But for us, it’s 10 years in real estate business, we need to demonstrate some, and if you really look at one of our biggest strengths, aside that we now have lands in more than 30 locations in Nigeria, aside that we’re now in Qatar, Dubai, UK, US, one of our biggest strengths has been training,” Mr Akintayo said.
Partnership
Mr Akintayo announced that the company would partner with the Lagos State Government.
He added that the initiative aimed to restore trust in the sector, addressing the lingering challenges of investor confidence.
“We’re having different speakers, in fact, we’re hoping that this Guinness World Record will also help clarify real estate issues. If you hear that 177 estates have been declared illegal, those things affect customers’ and investors’ confidence,
READ ALSO: Court reschedules Akpoti-Uduaghan’s cybercrime trial as senator raises objection
“We’re going to be pushing out letters very soon. We hope the governor will also be one of our keynote speakers.
We hope that all the key ministries as well, ministers for housing, you know, so that we can tell the whole world, the Guinness World Record puts you, that global eye on you, right, and tell the whole world, the real estate sector in Nigeria is alive, is doing well, and everybody should come and invest.”
Additionally, he announced the company’s acquisition of a firm licensed by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
