DBA student Osho Ademola Joel is developing a fintech platform to support women entrepreneurs across the globe

A Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) student at GCU London, Osho is developing ROSCA Connect (Ajoti), a research-led fintech platform that offers transparent savings tools, fair access to credit, and behavioural insights, transforming how underserved populations engage with financial services.

His project was recently featured in Innovator’s Quarterly Insights by the GCU Department of Finance, Accounting & Risk and several national media outlets in Nigeria, highlighting its potential as a scalable innovation with both commercial value and measurable social impact.

Osho’s academic journey has spanned three continents, but he says it was the DBA programme at GCU London that enabled him to translate research into real-world innovation.

“I saw the Doctorate of Business Administration programme and thought, I already have a background in business administration, so why not continue with it?” he explained. “That’s how I started at GCU London in 2022.”

He began his studies with a Higher National Diploma in Banking and Finance in Nigeria, followed by a bachelor’s degree in business administration. He later completed a fully funded MSc in Business Management at Hong Kong Baptist University, China and a Master of Business Creation at the University of Utah, United States where he was named overall best student. He has also undertaken further training in sustainable finance at the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management, Germany.

Alongside his studies, Osho built ventures in technology and agriculture and worked across banking, consulting, e-commerce, and food processing. He has published research in Taylor & Francis, Emerald, IGI with publications under review with Springer, and presented at the British Academy of Management conference. He was also a delegate at the 69th Session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69), reflecting his research focus on gender inclusion and digital transformation.

Osho’s doctoral research examines digital microfinance and women’s entrepreneurship in the Global South. It analyses the paradox of digital microfinance platforms, such as lending applications and ROSCAs, which can expand access to capital while deepening financial vulnerability. The research advances the DRACELIFT framework as a structured solution for aligning digital finance architecture, regulatory safeguards, and capability development to ensure that inclusion translates into sustainable empowerment and prevents cyclical indebtedness.

“For many women in developing countries, traditional banks require credit scores, collateral, and documentation they simply don’t have,” he explained. “Digital platforms give them access to funds, but the lack of regulation creates serious risks.”

Through 18 interviews, focus group, and a survey of 317 participants, Osho uncovered troubling practices linked to unregulated digital microfinance platforms.

“Some platforms charge 20 to 30 percent interest, trapping women in cycles of debt,” he said. “People borrow from one platform to pay another, and the interest keeps increasing.”

He also described cases of data privacy breaches and harassment.

“They access your phone, take your contacts, and send messages to your family and friends,” he said. “They shame people publicly, even posting obituaries or private images online. It is a massive ethical issue.”

Osho is developing Ajoti under the guidance of his supervisors, Dr Choromides Constantinos, Dr Jannat Shaika, and Dr Roberta Adami. The project seeks to formalize rotating savings and credit associations (ROSCAs), a community-based financial model widely used in Africa and other regions.

He also credits the GCU London community for shaping the platform’s name.

“Ajoti means people coming together for the common good,” he explained. “It reflects the idea of collective support without exploitative interest rates.”

He has already built a prototype and is preparing to launch a minimum viable product (MVP), with plans to pilot the platform in the UK, Nigeria, the US, and Canada.

“We tested the prototype with users, collected feedback, and identified glitches,” he said. “The goal is to launch in the UK and Nigeria first, then expand to immigrant communities in the US, Canada, and Europe.”

The project has attracted international interest, fostering collaborations between his research at GCU, the Crimson Project (University of Utah), and Ibadan Digital Academy in Nigeria.

“That publication in Innovator’s Quarterly Insights changed everything,” Osho said. “Suddenly people wanted to collaborate, investors were interested, and the project has been submitted as part of the call for commercialisation by GCU-hopefully, it could be considered by the school.”

He is now positioning Ajoti as a research-led innovation with potential societal impact and is seeking opportunities to engage mainstream media and key stakeholders.

“I am looking for introductions to mainstream media, particularly the BBC,” he said. “The objective is to generate credible media interest in financial inclusion and fintech, and to evidence real-world research impact for my doctoral work and for GCU.”

Osho credits his supervisors with helping accelerate the project.

“My supervisors were seriously behind the project,” he said. “They helped with structuring, feedback, and connecting me with people. They did not just supervise, they championed the work.”

Beyond research, Osho has served as a Student Representative, advocated for strengthened doctoral supervision structures, mentored fellow doctoral researchers, and is a two-time recipient of the London STAR Award. He also teaches business management courses at undergraduate level.

“It is a lonely journey, so you need to talk to people,” he said. “Reach out when you are stuck. Someone else might already have the solution.”

Osho’s long-term vision is to commercialise Ajoti while conducting a five-year longitudinal study to evaluate its impact on financial inclusion, poverty reduction, and social inclusion.

“We want to see how this moves people from obscurity to prosperity,” he said. “How it reduces harassment, debt traps, and financial exclusion.”

He hopes to attract investors and raise awareness of the ethical challenges surrounding digital lending, particularly for women entrepreneurs in developing economies. “This is not just a research project,” he said. “It is about changing lives.”