The Challengers

In the wake of the 2008 financial crisis a group of young Nigerian entrepreneurs came together to form The VFD Group, a company that is poised to become a major player in Nigeria’s financial sector. The founders of this company, Nonso Okpala, Adeniyi Adenubi,Mobolaji Adewumi, Gbenga Omolokun, and others, recognised the need for a new kind of financial institution in Nigeria, one that was nimble, innovative, and responsive to the needs of a rapidly changing market. But that was not their only innovation: they decided to build this firm together.

The Challengers is about the personal stories of these founders. What makes their story different from that of the businesspeople of just a generation prior? How did this company not only survive having so many “owners” but thrive because of it? This, in an environment as individualistic as the Nigerian business space, was a previously-unheard-of occurrence.