In an economy where access to credit can define survival for small businesses, financial infrastructure is no longer just a backend system, it’s a lifeline. Across Nigeria’s markets, entrepreneurs struggle daily with the weight of unreturned bank calls, opaque lending terms, and paperwork that never seems to end. Yet amid this financial gridlock, one company has quietly begun rewriting the rules of capital access: Afrity.
The company’s transformative work was recently honored with the Financial Infrastructure Innovation Award at the Capital Growth Forum, a recognition that celebrates organizations advancing financial inclusion through intelligent design and scalable technology. The company’s impact runs deeper than numbers, it sits at the intersection of finance, trust, and empowerment.
Co-founded by Nigerian entrepreneur Olabomi Adigun, the company is building the connective tissue of Nigeria’s next economy: a platform where small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can build credit visibility, access tailored financing, and grow with confidence. Its tools simplify capital flow by bridging traditional finance systems with the realities of informal and semi-formal businesses that keep Nigeria’s economy alive.
At the heart of the company’s approach is empathy fused with innovation. The company isn’t just digitizing forms; it’s redesigning how creditworthiness is understood. By combining real-time business data, transaction histories, and behavioral analytics, the company allows lenders to see what spreadsheets often hide: the resilience and reliability of Nigerian entrepreneurs.
“Access to capital shouldn’t be about who you know, it should be about what you’ve built,” said Adigun while receiving the award. “Afrity exists to make that principle real, one business at a time.”
That principle is already visible in the numbers. Businesses onboarded to the company system report shorter approval cycles, better loan terms, and the confidence to reinvest profits without fear of sudden liquidity shocks. For micro and mid-sized enterprises, it’s more than financial convenience, it’s continuity.
Across Lagos, Ibadan, and Kaduna, the company’s network of partner institutions continues to grow, linking local entrepreneurs to the capital channels that once seemed unreachable. Its platform is quietly powering a new kind of financial credibility; one grounded in performance, not privilege.
The Financial Infrastructure Innovation Award stands as a testament to the company’s vision: a Nigeria where capital isn’t trapped in silos, but circulates freely, fueling productivity, opportunity, and dignity for every entrepreneur ready to build. And in the Nigerian economy, that chance can make all the difference.
