Nigeria, Jan. 10 -- For many years, I have maintained a sustained and discerning interest in Nigeria's real estate sector, gradually assembling what might fairly be described as a modest portfolio.It has not been easy though. Residing on the other side of the Atlantic and far removed from the immediacies of home, I was compelled to rely on a network of suppliers, many of whom I cultivated over time and entrusted with confidence and loyalty. Regrettably, that trust was often violated. The pattern became grimly familiar: padded invoices, quiet substitution of inferior materials, imaginative bookkeeping, and a relentless inclination to prey upon the vulnerability of the absentee investor.

Then, almost fortuitously, the landscape shifted.

B...