The real estate business, according to the Chief Executive Officer of Pineleaf Estates and Properties Ltd, Archbishop Onyeka Joseph Nzekwesi, should be used not only to build houses but also to create jobs, develop skills, support agriculture and redirect investment towards the South-East.
Nzekwesi made the submission when members of the League of Anambra Journalists in Abuja (LAJA), led by its President, Ambassador Ikenna Okonkwo, visited him in Abuja.
He said the vision behind Pineleaf had expanded from property development to a broader plan involving real estate education, agriculture, industrial production, affordable housing and international exposure.
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“At a time, I found that the vision of God is more like a family thing. It is not just about growing Pineleaf Estates. It is about growing every person that is part of Pineleaf Estates- the realtors, the clients and everybody,” he said.
He said this thinking led to the establishment of Pineleaf Academy, where professionals from different backgrounds, including doctors, lawyers and pastors, are trained in real estate.
According to him, the objective is to produce professional realtors who understand property investment and development rather than simply sell plots.
The company, he said, is also taking its real estate model beyond Nigeria by exposing its workers and partners to property-development practices in countries including Canada, the United States, China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Turkey, Brazil and Spain.
He cited plans for an estate in Amansi, Anambra State, inspired by Málaga in Spain, as an example of the company’s approach to combining property development with international ideas.
But Nzekwesi said the ultimate goal is to bring investment and opportunities back to the South-East.
“We are doing everything possible to make our people come down to the East,” he said.
He also disclosed plans to expand into agriculture through a Farm Academy and livestock production, saying the company wants to contribute to food security and encourage large-scale agricultural production in the region.
Another major part of his vision is industrialisation.
Nzekwesi said Pineleaf is developing industrial estates to encourage families and entrepreneurs to establish businesses and manufacturing concerns.
He argued that the South-East would benefit if families began to measure wealth not only through property and luxury vehicles but also through the productive businesses they own.
“Every Igbo family will have a factory or a company, no matter how small,” he said.
He said the company’s investment philosophy was also influenced by his desire to create opportunities for young people at home.
Rather than seeing migration as the only route to success, he urged young Nigerians to consider developing businesses and skills within the country.
He acknowledged that building wealth takes time and sacrifice, stressing that people should not despise small beginnings.
“Know what you want and go after it,” he said.
He also spoke about plans to establish an international leadership and technical training institution in Anambra, saying the project was being developed with Canadian affiliation.
Nzekwesi said the broader vision is to create an ecosystem in which people could acquire skills, invest, build businesses, produce food and own homes without having to leave the region in search of opportunities.
Earlier, LAJA President Ambassador Ikenna Okonkwo commended the CEO for what he described as his impact on people and his commitment to investment in the South-East.
Okonkwo said the delegation had followed Nzekwesi’s activities online and was impressed by his approach to business and community development.
The visit which was to intimate Nzekwesi about LAJA’s symposium scheduled for November 12, 2026 in Abuja
brought together journalism and business leadership around a shared conversation on investment, development and the future of the South-East.
