Founder of Checkered Car Club (CCC), an accomplished real estate developer of residential and hospitality sector, entrepreneur, and car enthusiast with a long-term vision to build Nigeria’s most credible luxury motoring institution.
His work in the real estate sector comprises of development in Los Angeles California, Nigeria and Namibia where he was part of the team that built the first Hilton hotel in Windhoek, Namibia.
A pace setter and a pioneer in VOIP telecom technology connecting the USA and African countries in the early 2000s.
He is furthering his entrepreneurial spirit to establish CCC to formalize and elevate exotic and vintage car culture in Nigeria through a structured, institution-grade platform that goes beyond informal gatherings and one-off experiences.
Akogun’s vision for CCC is built around disciplined growth, curated participation, and long-term asset creation. Rather than treating premium automotive culture as a social moment, he is shaping it into a permanent ecosystem, one that begins with flagship visibility through the Checkered Grand Parade, to Checkered Car Week, a private Clubhouse, Motorsport Resort with race tracks and residential lifestyle destination.
With established relationships in Nigeria corporate world and internationally, background in real estate and entrepreneurship, he brings to CCC a strong understanding of physical asset development, premium positioning, execution discipline, and long-term value creation. His leadership is focused on building not just an event brand, but a trusted institution that combines automotive culture, hospitality, membership, and destination living in one address.
Aisha Balogun is a strategic partnerships and business development professional with over 16 years of experience across financial services, wealth management, marketing and communications.
She specialises in sponsorship acquisition, strategic partnerships, corporate relationship management and commercial negotiation, with a proven track record of connecting brands and organisations to high-value commercial opportunities.
Aisha has led major partnership and experiential marketing initiatives. She has also developed successful brand partnerships with global organisations, while driving measurable growth through strategic client acquisition and partnerships.
Today, as Managing Partner of Copper and Cowry, she combines her financial expertise, extensive corporate network and commercial acumen to build strategic relationships and deliver sustainable revenue growth.
Basit Gbolahan Raheem brings a blend of technology, product, and brand experience. He founded Afren AI, a technology company building AI-native products for a global market, where he leads strategy and commercial growth.
As a product strategist at Bracken Media Solutions, he worked with leading brands including Netflix, Chery Motors, and Transsion, and built the launch strategy for Chery Motors’ entry into Nigeria. As Lead AI Product Manager, he also led the deployment of an AI monitoring tool for OPay. He holds an AI and Software Engineering certification from the University of Alberta. In April 2026, he received the TIME100 Nigeria 40 Under 40 Special Recognition Award.
This experience in taking an automotive brand to market, building AI products, and driving commercial growth fits his role at Checkered Car Club.
His focus at CCC is to be part of the team that will turn a bold vision into a durable institution, one built on strong partnerships, credible commercial foundations, and growth that compounds year after year.
An Italian motorsport professional, performance engineer, and hospitality entrepreneur who brings deep international racing credibility and premium lifestyle alignment to CCC. His background combines competitive driving, technical vehicle development, team leadership, and customer-facing luxury experience and hospitality, making him a strong fit for a platform built at the intersection of motorsport, hospitality, and elite automotive culture.
His achievements include Italian Touring Car Champion (Under 25), Ferrari Challenge World and European Champion, and Ferrari Test Driver. He has also competed in multiple Daytona 24 Hours races, is a Grand American Rolex Series winner, and served as Former Team Principal of Radical Prototype Racing (Las Vegas). He is especially known for working within the Ferrari racing and test environment, including during the era when Michael Schumacher was at his peak.
For CCC, Costantino adds more than racing pedigree. He brings technical understanding, international credibility, operational discipline, and premium motorsport culture, helping strengthen CCC’s positioning as a serious luxury motoring institution rather than just an event platform.
A Swedish motorsport icon whose career spans Formula One, IndyCar, and endurance racing, Stefan Johansson brings global racing credibility and historic prestige to the CCC platform. He competed in Formula One for elite teams including Ferrari and McLaren, recorded 12 F1 podiums, and finished 5th in the 1986 Formula One World Championship. He later won the 1997 24 Hours of Le Mans and built a broader reputation across international sports car and open-wheel racing.
For CCC, Johansson adds more than racing recognition. He brings international credibility, historic motorsport stature, and premium automotive brand value, helping position CCC as a serious luxury motoring institution with global relevance.
A British-born African professional racing driver and driving coach with proudly Zimbabwean roots, Axcil Jefferies brings modern motorsport relevance and high-performance expertise to the CCC team. He is the 2024 European Le Mans Series LMGT3 Champion, a two-time Lamborghini Super Trofeo Middle East Champion, and a two-time Dubai 24 Hour winner. He also serves as a Senior Race Instructor at Yas Marina Circuit.
For CCC, Axcil strengthens the brand’s connection to driver development, premium motorsport experiences, and modern performance culture, adding a strong current-generation racing voice to the club’s long-term offering.
Apex Circuit Design Ltd is an award winning motorsport engineering consultancy responsible for the design and delivery of the world’s best race tracks, test and training facilities, destinations and temporary motorsport events.
Our reputation as global specialists in race track design and delivery is unsurpassed, with critical acclaim from international race teams, promoters and manufacturers. Earned through the supply of the most engaging, exciting and technically challenging circuit design for drivers and spectators alike.
We are proud to have been the first circuit engineering firm to be accredited by the FIA for our response to environmental impact, achieving both the FIA Action for Environment and the highest rating available of the FIA’s environmental accreditation programme.
Our projects have stood the test of time, continuing to bring benefit to our clients year on year. Core to our project and design philosophy is our emphasis on working with a functional, feasible business model, allowing maximum capital value to be identified within a project, using automotive activity as the core attraction.
We have worked on over 180 paid commissions on 6 continents.
We have a proven track record in delivering large scale projects.
Every venue our team has delivered in the past continues to enjoy success.
We have an established team, ready to mobilise to take all projects to the next level.
We offer certainty in delivery that will allow you to focus on other aspects of the project to secure commercial success.
We have built on our capability to deliver commercially sustainable motorsport venues to cover a broader range of hotel, sports and leisure, commercial and retail, residential and industrial development opportunities both for temporary and permanent infrastructure.
Disclaimer: Most images bearing company names, logos, government agencies and embassies are only place holders and aspirational purposes only and in no way mean to deceive the public that they are sponsors or partners of CCC at the moment.
© 2026 Checkered Car Club – All rights reserved
