In the bustling innovation hubs of Lagos, VDL Technologies, a home-grown tech firm, isn’t just looking for growth; it is looking for a collision of worlds, attempting a rare geopolitical double-play.

By setting its sights on expansion, 10 years after its establishment in 2015, the Lagos-based company plans to break into African and European markets simultaneously, having adopted a business model that helped it to adjust to government policy risks amid Nigeria’s tough macroeconomic environment.

Speaking at a press conference to mark its 10th anniversary, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Oluwarotimi Fasuyi, said VDL is targeting other African markets, the Middle East and North Africa, as well as Europe and parts of North America with strong Nigerian populations.

He said: “We are looking to move to African countries, especially the Middle East and North African countries, and also Europe. Places where we have Nigerians, Canada, and the United States, can also leverage our gaming platforms.”

Fasuyi noted that the company has evolved from a services-oriented startup into a full-scale technology solutions provider, with platforms spanning health, education, media, gaming, civic engagement and consumer services. He added that the tech firm provides real-time analytics to firms in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector; energy, finance, transportation, retail and e-commerce sectors.

He stated that the company’s growth in the last years has equipped it to address challenges, adding that it also works with government agencies and healthcare cum wellness, enabling them to understand customer behaviour and usage patterns.

“VDL Technologies is about offering digital services to people. What you can use on your phone, and of course, that will add value to you and improve your lifestyle. Our services cut across different domains in the market, talking about children, talking about adults, and not just to individuals but also to businesses,” the CEO stated.

“We are helping them to distribute their mobile content on the phone. We help some media brands by getting customers to have access to news on their devices. Over the past 10 years, VDL Technologies has reached millions of users through mobile applications, SMS and USSD, expanding access to information, services and opportunities across smartphones and feature phones,” he added.

According to Fasuyi, VDL offerings include gamification through Markov Games AI, consumer intelligence, shortcode services, payment solutions, mobile marketing, and corporate ringback tunes.

He explained that the company’s skill-based games are designed to teach culture and history, citing its “50-50” game, which focuses on Nigerian culture and heritage. “It’s very important to us,” he said.

Fasuyi also said VDL played a role in national development through civic technology, stressing that during the last general elections, the company supported voter education and participation by enabling citizens to access polling unit information, voter services and election updates via mobile platforms, including USSD for feature phones.

“Through an agency, we partnered with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deploy USSD solutions that helped voters locate their polling units and collect Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).

“It created accessibility and helped people maximise their time using technology,” he said, adding that the company is ready to support similar initiatives ahead of the 2027 elections if engaged.

Also speaking at the press parley, the Chief Technology Officer of the company, Tosin Oni said that using adaptive AI, the platform delivers personalised questions and challenges that evolve based on user behaviour, rewarding knowledge and consistency.

He stated that millions of users, particularly students, have engaged with the platform, earning weekly rewards that often help ease financial pressure. “For us, innovation means responsibility. With Markov Games AI, we proved that you can build engaging, large-scale platforms without exploiting users. The technology adapts to people, not the other way around,” the CTO said.

Looking ahead, the tech firm plans to expand beyond Nigeria into other African markets and the diaspora, particularly North America. The company aims to scale its platforms by combining culture, education, payments, engagement and artificial intelligence, while continuing to prioritise accessibility through mobile apps, SMS and USSD.

“The next phase is about depth and scale. We are building systems that can travel across borders while remaining relevant to local realities” Tosin stated.

Another flagship solution of the company is Amani Health, a mental-health platform created in response to Nigeria’s growing emotional and psychological challenges. Built after extensive research with parents, schools and young people, Amani Health leverages technology and artificial intelligence to deliver accessible, culturally relevant therapy and emotional support.

“Amani Health came from listening. We saw a clear gap in mental-health support that was affordable, accessible and relevant to our culture. Technology gave us a way to bridge that gap at scale,” said Olayemi Samuel, Chief Business Officer.