Physical Address
4 Elgon Terrace, Kololo, Kampala, Uganda
Kalu Joseph Ude is not simply a technology entrepreneur, he is a force of purposeful innovation whose influence is being felt across Nigeria’s transportation sector, financial technology landscape, and youth development ecosystem. As the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Flashride and Fintag which operates under his parent company Source IT, Kalu has established himself as one of Nigeria’s most consequential technology leaders of his generation.
Since launching Flashride on 29 August 2021, he has grown the platform to over 20,000 registered active users across Nigeria, a remarkable achievement for a homegrown technology solution operating in one of Africa’s most complex and competitive markets. His fintech platform, Fintag, officially launched in October 2022, has already processed over 3,000 transactions and has earned the confidence of a state government body in Nigeria, which formally adopted the platform; a validation that speaks volumes about the quality and trustworthiness of the infrastructure Kalu has built.
In August 2024, Kalu was exclusively honoured with the Men in Fintech Leadership Award at the Titan of Tech Awards, organised by Tech TV Global Network at a ceremony held in Lagos, Nigeria recognising him as a singular leader in Africa’s fintech space. His impact, however, extends far beyond his own platforms. Through his personal initiative, *Learn About Tech with Kalu*, he has trained over 300 young Nigerians across multiple states including a landmark multi-day training session held at the University of Abuja in July 2024; equipping them with entrepreneurship skills, technology knowledge, and public speaking capabilities entirely free of charge.
His work has attracted media coverage from both Nigerian and international outlets, including LeadersBio, further cementing his standing as a recognised and respected voice in Africa’s technology ecosystem.
In this exclusive interview with Tech Info Africa News Media, Kalu reflects on his journey, his platforms, his recognition, and his unwavering commitment to using technology as a tool for national and continental transformation.
Q&A INTERVIEW
Q: Mr. Kalu, you have achieved a great deal in a relatively short period of time; two thriving platforms, a major national award, and a growing reputation as a leader in your field. Looking back, where did it all begin for you?
A: It began with frustration, honestly and I say that with gratitude, because frustration, when properly channelled, is one of the most powerful drivers of innovation. I looked around and saw two problems that were holding millions of Nigerians back every single day: unreliable transportation and the absence of accessible, trustworthy financial services. These were not niche problems. They were systemic. And I believed deeply that technology, applied with the right intent and the right architecture, could address both. That belief became Source IT, and from Source IT came Flashride and Fintag.
Q: Flashride launched on 29 August 2021. Can you tell us what distinguished it from what already existed in the Nigerian ride-hailing market?
A: The distinction was intentionality. Many platforms that enter the Nigerian market are adapted versions of solutions built elsewhere; they are not designed from the ground up with Nigeria’s specific realities in mind. Flashride was. We thought about Nigerian roads, Nigerian users, the connectivity challenges in different parts of the country, and the trust deficit that exists in markets where people have been disappointed before. We built a platform that was lightweight enough to work in low-bandwidth environments, accessible enough for users across different economic brackets, and reliable enough to earn the kind of word-of-mouth growth that no marketing budget can buy. That is how we reached 10,000 users in our first two years, and how we have since grown to over 20,000 registered active users across the country.
Q: That growth is impressive by any standard. What does crossing 20,000 registered active users mean to you personally as a founder?
A: It means that the problem was real and that our solution is working. Every one of those 20,000 users made a choice which is a choice to trust us with their time, their safety, and their money. That is not something I take lightly. It is also a reminder that we are just at the beginning. Nigeria is a country of over 200 million people. The transportation challenges in our secondary cities, in our rural areas, in communities that are still completely underserved; those are the next frontier for Flashride. The over 20,000 users we have today are proof of concept. The next phase is about scale.
Q: You launched Fintag in October 2022. Fintech in Nigeria is an extremely competitive space. What has been the key to Fintag gaining traction and earning institutional confidence?
A: Trust and reliability. In fintech, those are not just words; they are the entire product. Anyone can build a payment interface. Very few can build the kind of infrastructure that a state government body looks at and says, “We trust this enough to adopt it for our operations.” That endorsement, for us, was not just a business milestone; it was a statement about the quality of what we have built. Processing over 3,000 transactions with the level of security and reliability our users expect is something our team is genuinely proud of. And it is the foundation from which we will continue to scale.
Q: In August 2024, you were exclusively honoured with the Men in Fintech Leadership Award at the Titan of Tech Awards by Tech TV Global Network in Lagos. What did that recognition mean to you?
A: It was humbling and affirming in equal measure. Being recognised as the sole recipient in that category by an organisation of Tech TV Global Network’s standing is something I am deeply grateful for. But more than the personal honour, I see it as a recognition of what is possible when you commit to solving real problems with integrity and rigour. That award belongs as much to my team, to our users, and to everyone who believed in what we were building before it was easy to believe in it. It also carries responsibility;
when you are recognised as a leader, you must continue to lead with excellence.
Q: Beyond your platforms and your awards, you have become known for your commitment to developing the next generation of Nigerian tech talent. Tell us about your initiative, Learn About Tech with Kalu.
A: Learn About Tech with Kalu is perhaps the work I am most personally invested in. The initiative was born from a simple observation: there are thousands of brilliant young Nigerians who have the potential to become world-class technologists and entrepreneurs, but who lack access to the knowledge, mentorship, and practical exposure that would unlock that potential. I decided to be part of the solution. Through this programme, I have trained over 300 young people across multiple states in Nigeria including Lagos and Delta and has been made completely free of charge. The curriculum covers entrepreneurship, technology skills, and public speaking, because I believe that the most effective innovators are those who can build, think, and communicate with equal confidence.
Q: The multi-day training session you held at the University of Abuja in July 2024 trained 300 university students. What was that experience like, and what do you hope those students took away from it?
A: That session was extraordinary. Being in a room with 300 young, hungry, curious minds who are genuinely eager to understand how technology can transform their futures; it is one of the most energising experiences a founder can have. What I wanted them to take away was not just knowledge, but belief. Belief that they do not have to wait for someone else to solve Nigeria’s problems. Belief that the tools they need are increasingly accessible. Belief that a young person from any part of this country can build something that matters. If even a fraction of those students go on to build products, launch businesses, or mentor others in turn, then the ripple effect of that single training session will be felt for decades.
Q: You have now trained over 300 young people across different parts of Nigeria. What drives your commitment to youth development alongside running two growing technology companies?
A: I believe that leadership is measured not by what you build for yourself, but by what you make possible for others. Nigeria’s greatest resource is not oil; it is its young people. If I can play even a small role in equipping them with the skills and confidence to harness technology for good, then I am contributing to something much larger than any single platform. Running Flashride and Fintag and running Learn About Tech with Kalu are not separate endeavours for me they are expressions of the same mission. Both are about using technology to create opportunity where it did not previously exist.
Q: Your work has been covered by both Nigerian and international media, including LeadersBio. How important is visibility and recognition to the broader mission you are pursuing?
A: Visibility matters, but only when it is earned and purposefully used. Media coverage and recognition are not ends in themselves; they are amplifiers. When LeadersBio and other outlets cover what we are building, it creates awareness that inspires other founders, attracts potential partners, and signals to users that what we are doing has been independently validated. For a young tech company operating in a market where trust is everything, that kind of third-party recognition is genuinely valuable. But I am always more focused on the substance than the spotlight.
Q: A state government body in Nigeria has formally adopted Fintag as part of its operations. What does that level of institutional trust say about where Nigerian fintech is heading?
A: It says that the era of scepticism about homegrown Nigerian technology solutions is ending. When a government body chooses to integrate a locally built fintech platform into its operations, it sends a powerful signal to the market, to investors, and to other founders that Nigerian technology can meet institutional standards. For Fintag, it validates everything we have built and sets a benchmark for what we continue to build. It also carries enormous responsibility, because institutional partners raise the standard for reliability, security, and accountability. We welcome that standard. It makes us better.
Q: What is your message to the international technology community; investors, partners, policymakers about the opportunity that exists in Nigeria’s tech ecosystem right now?
A: The opportunity is real, it is significant, and it is now. Nigeria has a young, digitally engaged population, an entrepreneurial culture of extraordinary resilience, and a set of structural challenges in transportation, finance, healthcare, and education that technology is uniquely positioned to address. The founders building solutions here are not imitating what exists elsewhere they are pioneering approaches that the world has not seen before, because the problems they are solving are uniquely complex. Anyone who wants to be part of the next great chapter of global technology innovation should be paying very close attention to what is happening in Nigeria.
Q: Finally, looking ahead — what is the next chapter for Kalu Joseph Ude, for Flashride, for Fintag, and for Learn About Tech with Kalu?
A: The next chapter is scale; responsible, sustainable, impactful scale. For Flashride, it means reaching every Nigerian who deserves access to reliable transportation, not just those in our largest cities. For Fintag, it means deepening financial inclusion and expanding the range of services we offer to individuals, businesses, and institutions. For Learn About Tech with Kalu, it means training more young people, in more states, with an even more comprehensive curriculum. And personally, it means continuing to build, continuing to give back, and continuing to demonstrate that technology, when built with purpose and integrity, has the power to genuinely transform lives. We are just getting started.
Closing Quote
“True innovation is not about the technology you build, it is about the lives you change in building it. Nigeria’s greatest chapter is still ahead, and it will be written by those who dare to build with purpose.”
— Kalu Joseph Ude, Founder & CEO, Flashride and Fintag (Source IT)
Interview conducted by the Tech Info Africa News Media Correspondent.
