Founded in 2015, VDL Technologies has grown from a modest home-based startup into a digital solutions company serving businesses, public institutions, and everyday users. Through products spanning USSD services, mental health support, edutainment, and AI-driven consumer insights, the company has carved out a niche in using mobile technology to solve everyday problems, Vanessa Obioha reports.
Entrepreneurship is not for the faint-hearted, and for Oluwarotimi Fasuyi, it meant betting on mobile technology as a practical tool for solving everyday problems in Nigeria. Ten years ago, he resigned from paid employment to pursue that belief, one that would eventually give rise to VDL Technologies, a company that now operates across telecoms, health, edutainment, and consumer intelligence.
At the time, the decision unsettled his wife, Ayodele. Despite growing up in an entrepreneurial family, she worried about the uncertainty that came with starting a business.
“With paid employment, you at least know that something will come in at the end of the day,” she said recently at a press briefing to mark the 10th anniversary of their company, VDL Technologies.
Fasuyi, however, was persuasive. It did not take long for his conviction to win her over and for her to share in his vision.
On March 24, 2015, VDL Technologies was born with a mission to help companies and brands solve problems through mobile technology. The company began from a corner of their home with just three or four employees. Today, it occupies an entire floor at Alausa Shopping Mall in Ikeja, employs over 30 staff members, and serves a diverse client base.
Beyond telecoms giants such as MTN Nigeria and Airtel, VDL has worked with entertainment brands including Jenifa’s Diary, helping to deliver the series to mobile audiences at its early stages. The company positions itself as a digital solutions provider focused on improving lifestyles while contributing to economic growth. For instance, in the last elections, its USSD services were deployed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to help voters locate polling units and collect Permanent Voter Cards.
Over time, the company’s offerings have expanded beyond corporate clients to individual users, including children. One of its most recent initiatives, Amani Health Services, was created to address Nigeria’s growing mental health challenges.
“We found out that in Nigeria there is no specific platform or product that addresses our mental health. So that’s what led to us having Amani Health,” Fasuyi said. “We did a lot of research with parents, with schools, trying to understand what people are going through. We found out that people are going through emotional breakdown, anxiety, trauma and different types of addiction.”
Amani Health connects users with therapists and other mental health professionals for support and care.
VDL also operates in the edutainment space through Markov Games AI, a web-based trivia platform that combines learning, entertainment, and rewards.
“If you look at the age bracket of our trending population, you will find out that they love sports, entertainment and betting,” said Fasuyi. “We don’t do betting because of our ethics and values. We try to create a platform that bridges the gap between the betting industry and our growing trending population, which is gaming. Markov Games AI is a platform that helps people to learn as they play games and they are rewarded.”
During the last AFCON tournament, the company partnered with MTN to reward some users with prizes including a trip to Morocco, where the championship was held.
Its latest addition is MOVIL, a comprehensive consumer intelligence platform that combines marketing, AI-driven insights, gamification, shortcode solutions, and mobile payments to deliver unparalleled value to businesses.
Summing up VDL’s work, Fasuyi said:
“We help organisations to realise their business objectives such as market penetration and having access to real-time information. We also help brands to reach their customers and end-users. It’s not just about selling their products, but making them comfortable and happy using them,” explained Fasuyi.
One of the ways the company helps brands to build customer loyalty is through consumer promotion where consumers are rewarded for using a particular product with incentives such as airtime, data, cash, and branded gifts.
Internally, staff welfare is a priority. From training conferences to work-life balance initiatives, Fasuyi described VDL as a collective effort rather than an individual one.
The journey, however, has not been without its challenges. As Ayodele puts it, entrepreneurship is “like walking on water.” Foreign exchange volatility and inconsistent government policies remain major hurdles.
“FX is a major challenge because most of our platforms are cloud-based, and we’re earning in naira and paying in dollars. And our payments are monthly, not annual,” Fasuyi said. “Lack of a clear-cut policy from the government is also affecting us. With different policies, it makes it difficult to predict the market, even in the next six months.”
Looking ahead, Fasuyi said VDL plans to expand into the Middle East, Europe, and other African markets, while also launching Internet of Things (IoT) products.
“Leveraging our growing population of over 200 million, there is still room for more solutions to our diverse problems, especially in the education sector, fintech, as well as making payment accessible to people with ease, leveraging on SMS and USSD. So there is more product adoption, market penetration and launching products that address our needs, not just in Nigeria but across the world.”
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