“The demolition of Landmark Beach in 2024 marked a defining moment in our journey. What followed was not an end, but a transition that strengthened our resolve, sharpened our vision, and accelerated our expansion across new frontiers and regions,” Paul Onwuanibe, CEO of Landmark Africa Group, said, reflecting on the development.

In 2006, the Landmark Africa Group, led by its CEO, Paul Onwuanibe, acquired a stretch of land on the Atlantic coastline in Victoria Island that most developers had previously passed on. In 2018, Landmark Beach opened, and within its first few years, it became a major destination in Lagos.

The beach itself hosted 60 businesses on-site, while also serving as the anchor for a hundred other businesses located on the landside of the development and its wider environment. Together, these on-site and surrounding enterprises created business opportunities across sectors such as food and beverage, retail, hospitality, events, logistics, health, facility management, security, and entertainment, employing thousands of people.

Couples booked it for weddings. Multinationals brought their teams for bonding activities. Tourists arriving in Lagos for the first time added it to their itineraries. By 2023, Lonely Planet ranked it among Nigeria’s top seven beaches

What Landmark Beach Represented

Landmark Beach was never just a leisure destination; it stood as clear proof of the gap in the Nigerian market for world-class hospitality and lifestyle infrastructure built to global standards. It consistently demonstrated that when the right environment exists, Nigerians and international visitors show up for it in their millions. Year after year, it attracted millions of local and foreign visitors drawn to its blend of beach recreation, curated food and retail vendors, and its broader beach resort experience. This sustained demand reinforced Landmark’s position as one of the country’s most prominent lifestyle and leisure destinations

In 2024, the federal government announced the commencement of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, a major infrastructure project linking nine states along Nigeria’s coastline. Landmark Beach sat directly in its path.

On that stretch of land stood six years of development, an ecosystem supporting hundreds of businesses, thousands of jobs, and millions of annual visitors. What had taken years to build was demolished in just seven days.

"People can take away what you have. But they can't take away who you are." — Paul Onwuanibe, CEO, Landmark Africa

Landmark Beach by the Numbers

3.5M+ annual visitors

60 businesses operating on-site

100+ anchor businesses 

Thousands of direct and indirect jobs supported

7+ sectors covered: hospitality, events, food and beverage, logistics, retail, facility management, security, health, entertainment

#Top 7  ranked among Nigeria's Top 7 beaches (Lonely Planet, 2023)

2024–2026: Two Years Post the Demolition

What the demolition disrupted was real and significant. What it did not disrupt was everything that had already been built around it. Even before 2024, Landmark Africa had expanded well beyond the beach into hospitality, real estate, family entertainment, and events, becoming widely known as a destination development company.  While the Landmark Beach was the most popular part of the business, it was not the whole of it. And in the two years since the demolition, the pace of growth has not slowed. It has increased.

 

Expanding the Landmark Lagos Ecosystem

 In the same year the beach was demolished, we launched The Landmark Upside-Down House, a first-of-its-kind attraction in West Africa. An architectural marvel built entirely upside down with inverted furniture and fittings. Since its launch in 2024, over 50,000 visitors have walked through its doors, and it now ranks among the city's most searched leisure experiences for families and tourists.

The Landmark Event Centre has seen event bookings double year on year since 2024, across conferences, exhibitions, weddings, concerts, and corporate activations.

POP Landmark, a containerised leisure and entertainment mall, was also launched in 2025, and it has since hosted more than 150 events in a single year, establishing itself as one of Lagos's consistent food and entertainment venues.

The Landmark Kids Club, a dedicated children’s and family entertainment space where families come together to celebrate special moments, was also added to the ecosystem. Since its opening, it has hosted more than 100 memorable birthday parties.
Landmark Waterview Apartments, a 20-floor residential tower, represents the "live" component of Landmark Africa's Live-Work-Play philosophy. As part of the broader Landmark ecosystem, it is designed to complement the Group's hospitality, commercial, and lifestyle offerings while delivering a modern residential experience. The development remains open for sales as it continues to grow its community of residents.

Expanding Beyond Lagos: Landmark Africa’s Growth Across Nigeria

 In early 2025, Landmark Africa commenced operations at the 210-room Nike Lake Resort in Enugu State, now operating as Landmark Nike Lake Resort. One of the most historically significant hospitality properties in South-Eastern Nigeria, the resort is known for its tranquil lakeside setting, lush natural surroundings, and retreat-like environment.

Since taking over operations, Landmark Africa has begun a phased transformation of the property, investing in accommodation upgrades, environmental enhancements, food and beverage offerings, recreation infrastructure, wellness facilities, and broader destination repositioning, with the aim of strengthening its positioning as a world-class tourism destination. A signature attraction, an Upside-Down House, was recently launched within the resort and will be the first of its kind in South-Eastern Nigeria and the second in West Africa.

In Port Harcourt, the redevelopment of the historic Port Harcourt Tourist Beach is also underway. The project marks Landmark Africa’s entry into Rivers State and its third major Nigerian city within two years, further expanding the Group’s national footprint. It is scheduled to open in Q4 2026.

Building for Africa, Not Just for Nigeria
Our long-term ambition has never been confined to one city or one country.
For too long, the experiences Africans aspired to in hospitality, tourism, lifestyle, and entertainment were largely imported. Built elsewhere, optimised for elsewhere, priced for elsewhere. We believe that can change; it must change.
Landmark Africa is building destinations that are globally competitive in quality while remaining genuinely rooted in the cultures, contexts, and communities of the African continent, reinforcing our commitment to building in Africa for Africa, by Africans. We are not just building hotels and attractions; we are building Africa-infused ecosystems, where tourism, hospitality, entertainment, business, and community coexist in one destination.

What Comes Next Is Bigger Than What Came Before
Today, Landmark Africa operates across multiple cities, sectors, and stages of development simultaneously. We are rolling out into new cities in Africa. New experiences are being built. New chapters are beginning.
And from our CEO, the mission has never been clearer:
"Africa does not need to import world-class experiences. We are building them here for Africans, by Africans, on African soil. What happened at the beach was painful. But it did not change what we set out to do. If anything, it sharpened it."  Paul Onwuanibe, CEO, Landmark Africa