This April, CardForté turns five. And in Nigeria’s business environment, that’s no small feat. In a space where companies are constantly navigating foreign exchange swings, power challenges, and shifting regulations, reaching a five-year milestone is more than a date on the calendar, it’s a story of resilience, discipline, and staying power….For CardForté, it’s also a moment to reflect.
Founded in 2021 and based in Lekki, the company has steadily grown into one of the quiet forces supporting Nigeria’s digital economy. While much of the spotlight has been on fintech apps and digital platforms, CardForté has been working behind the scenes, producing the physical tools that power that ecosystem, from payment cards to identity solutions.
In just five years, the company has produced over 27 million cards for more than 150 clients, many of them fintechs and first-time issuers. Through these partnerships, CardForté has indirectly supported financial access for over 20 million Nigerians, particularly those who are underserved.
Speaking ahead of the anniversary, Co-founder and Director, Tunde Aka-Bashorun, kept things grounded.
“We’ve made our own modest contribution,” he said. “But the journey has been full of lessons. In Nigeria, you quickly learn that having a good idea is not enough. You need resilience, patience, and the ability to keep moving forward, even when things are tough.”
That mindset has shaped how the company operates.
From the beginning, CardForté made a deliberate choice to build locally, not just in terms of manufacturing, but also in people. Today, the company runs entirely on Nigerian talent, investing heavily in training and development. Its Graduate Trainee Programme, in particular, has become a strong pipeline, with many young professionals growing from entry-level roles into key positions within the company.
It’s a quiet but important contribution: building skills, creating jobs, and keeping expertise within the country.
Beyond payments, CardForté’s work cuts across sectors. Its solutions are used in healthcare, retail, and hospitality, helping businesses improve efficiency and customer experience. In healthcare, for example, the company sees potential in simple but powerful tools like QR-enabled medical cards that can improve patient record management and support better policy decisions over time.
Still, the journey hasn’t been easy.
Like many manufacturers in Nigeria, CardForté has had to deal with high operating costs, from sourcing raw materials in foreign currency to managing energy demands and navigating regulatory uncertainties. Access to affordable financing also remains a challenge.
For Aka-Bashorun, these are not just company issues, but industry-wide concerns.
“There is real potential for Nigeria to become a hub for manufacturing and innovation,” he noted. “But businesses need the right support, from policy stability to access to finance and infrastructure.”
As CardForté looks ahead, growth is firmly on the agenda. The company is close to completing a new facility in Lagos that will expand its production capacity, while its research and development team continues to explore new solutions, including eco-friendly cards and more advanced technologies.
But even with these ambitions, the focus remains simple: solve real problems.
That same philosophy is reflected in the advice the founders offer to other entrepreneurs,build what people actually need, stay disciplined, and be ready to adapt.
“Don’t build a company you want,” Aka-Bashorun said. “Build a company people need.”
As the company marks its fifth anniversary, the celebration is not just about how far it has come, but about what it represents: the possibility of building sustainable, impactful businesses in Nigeria, even in the face of constant challenges.
For CardForté, five years is just the beginning.
About CardForté
CardForté is a Nigerian smart card manufacturing and solutions company providing payment cards, identity solutions, and secure access systems for businesses across multiple sectors. Through its work, the company supports financial inclusion, digital transformation, and local capacity development within Nigeria’s growing economy.
