Building Legacies, Lifting Communities: Why Olaseni Reis Gives Back - THISDAYLIVE
I am frequently asked why I devote so much time, energy and resources to Agbolé Legacy Projects and the Reis Table Tennis Tournament. The question deserves a considered answer, because both initiatives spring from a single conviction: success has little meaning if it ends with the individual.
In Yoruba tradition, the agbolé is the family compound, a shared space where generations live side by side, support one another and hand down values along with property. It is a living symbol of belonging, security and continuity.
That is the spirit behind Agbolé Legacy projects, redevelopment that can uplift families while honouring their past, Agbole helps owners convert ancestral land into durable, income generating assets that preserve their heritage. We aim to make decent, dependable housing attainable for ordinary people. A home is more than a roof. It gives a family a foundation on which to plan, grow and build wealth that outlasts a single generation. Legacy, in my view, should not be a privilege reserved for a few.
The Reis Table Tennis Tournament grew from the same belief, expressed in a different arena. Sport teaches what the classroom alone cannot- discipline, patience, humility in defeat and grace in victory. Table tennis in particular rewards focus, quick thinking and perseverance-qualities that serve a young person well in school, in work and in life.
The tournament gives young Nigerians a platform to discover their talent, compete fairly and be recognised for it. If it opens a single door for a single child, the effort has been justified.
I do not regard giving back as charity. Charity suggests a favour, what I feel is a duty. Whatever I have achieved was made possible by others, family who sacrificed, teachers who guided, colleagues who trusted and communities that supported. The most meaningful way to honour that debt is to create opportunities for those who come after.
Housing and sport may seem unrelated, yet both are about the same thing, giving people a stable footing from which to rise. One provides a place to belong, the other a place to grow.
My hope is that this work inspires others to ask what they, too, can build for their community. Every contribution matters, whether it is a home, a tournament, a scholarship or simply time given to mentor a young person. A society is strengthened not by what a few accumulate, but by what many are willing to share.
That is why I give back, and why I will continue to do so.
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