As he bows out after four decades at the helm, Ademola Aladekomo, founder, Chams HoldCo Plc weighs in on the issues shaping Nigeria’s digital future, opportunities, risks for investors and operators in the technology industry write Iheanyi Nwachukwu. Excerpts
As you conclude a four-decade leadership journey at Chams, what reflections do you have on the company’s evolution and your decision to hand over now?
Gratitude best captures my feelings, though I still find it hard to believe that four decades have passed. We founded Chams in 1985 and mark our 40th anniversary in 2026. My summary of the journey is Ebenezer—the Lord has helped us this far. I feel no sadness because handing over at the right time was always part of the plan. Every founder hopes to leave behind an institution that can stand independently. I am thankful for God’s faithfulness, the dedicated people who built this company with me, and a country that allowed a young man with more conviction than capital to dream big.
What inspired you to establish Chams at a time when Nigeria’s technology industry was still in its infancy, and what national challenge were you determined to address?
I refused to believe that technology excellence had to come from abroad. After graduating from the University of Ife in 1982, I became convinced Nigerians could build and manage world-class technology systems. The challenge I wanted to solve was trust—how banks identify customers, governments identify citizens, and payments are completed securely. We started from a small room in our Surulere home. The room was small, but the vision was not.
