VFD Group CEO urges young Nigerians to leverage 'attention capital' for wealth

Nonso Okpala, Group Managing Director and CEO of VFD Group Plc, has called on young Nigerians to embrace innovation, entrepreneurship, and digital opportunities as key pathways to sustainable wealth creation. He specifically highlighted the growing significance of "attention capital" in the modern economy during a symposium at Nnamdi Azikiwe University.

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One thing that has become quite relevant is your ability to capture people’s attention and move that attention into a business model. That is what I call attention capital.

Okpala defined attention capital as the ability of individuals and businesses to capture public attention and convert it into tangible value. He urged young entrepreneurs to capitalize on Nigeria's large and expanding population, technological advancements, and growing retail sector. According to Okpala, Nigeria's demographic presents a substantial market for scalable solutions, noting that even modest products can achieve significant success when distributed widely.

The CEO also underscored the transformative role of technology, particularly artificial intelligence, in accelerating innovation and reducing the time needed to develop products and services. He further emphasized the critical function of capital markets in scaling small enterprises into large, institutionalized businesses. Okpala cautioned that many ventures fail due to weak organizational structures and a lack of continuity.

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the country’s population presents a significant market for those who can successfully identify needs and build scalable solutions, adding that even small products can become major businesses when distributed at scale.

Drawing from his experience at VFD Group, Okpala attributed the company's growth to consistent execution, robust team building, and the ability to scale proven business models. He encouraged students and aspiring entrepreneurs to focus on developing strong ideas, assembling capable teams, and maintaining a verifiable track record to attract future investment. Ultimately, Okpala stated, wealth creation should translate into positive social impact, particularly in areas like education, infrastructure, and community development.

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wealth creation must ultimately translate into social impact, particularly in education, infrastructure and community development.