Nnaemeka Obodoekwe is the founder of fast-growing fintech platform, Lenkie.
Coming to Cambridge from Nigeria in 2019 through the Rowan Williams Cambridge Studentship, he explains how this support was a vital step in his journey to becoming a successful entrepreneur.
Tell us about your background. What did you do before you came to study at the University of Cambridge?
I grew up in Nigeria, where political and financial instability often affects access to consistent, high-quality education. Even with strong academic performance, students frequently face disruptions that are completely outside their control, from economic uncertainty to shifts in government policy.
After completing high school in Nigeria, I was fortunate to receive a scholarship to study Computer Science in South Africa. That opportunity gave me the academic foundation I had worked toward for years, a foundation that would not have been possible without external support.
Later, I received my first offer from Cambridge, but I had to withdraw because the financial burden was beyond what my family could manage.
For a long time, Cambridge felt out of reach. Everything changed when I finally received scholarship support, making it possible for me to attend and completely transforming the direction of my life.
Nnaemeka Obodoekwe
How has your time at Cambridge changed your life? What has it enabled you to do on a personal level, professionally or as part of your community?
Cambridge changed my life in profound ways. Personally, it provided an environment of stability, excellence and opportunity that was often difficult to access while growing up in Nigeria, where education can be disrupted by unpredictable circumstances. Studying for my MPhil in Advanced Computer Science at Fitzwilliam College and having the freedom to focus fully on learning was deeply empowering.
Professionally, Cambridge opened doors I never imagined. It gave me the platform to join Entrepreneur First, where I met my co-founder and went on to build Lenkie. Today, Lenkie has facilitated over £100 million in funding for small and medium-sized businesses across the UK, helping entrepreneurs grow and strengthening local economies.
None of this would have been possible without the scholarship that allowed me to study at Cambridge. I now mentor young people across Nigeria and Africa, encouraging them to pursue opportunities boldly even when their starting point feels limiting.
Rising Star Entrepreneur of the Year Award at the Black British Business Awards 2025
What would you like to pursue next on your professional journey?
My next goal is to scale Lenkie into one of the most impactful financial platforms supporting small and medium-sized businesses. We aim to solve cashflow problems and give entrepreneurs the access to credit and financial tools they need to grow with confidence.
In the long term, I want to apply the lessons from building Lenkie to support financial inclusion across Africa. Growing up with instability around education and limited access to resources showed me how powerful reliable financial infrastructure can be. I want to help build systems that allow people to pursue their goals regardless of background or circumstance.
What advice would you give to anyone considering applying to Cambridge with support from the Cambridge Trust?
My advice is to apply confidently even if your financial circumstances make Cambridge feel impossible. I once felt the same way. Without the Cambridge Trust scholarship, I would not have been able to accept my place at Cambridge, and the opportunities that followed would never have happened.
That support opened the door to Entrepreneur First and eventually to the creation of Lenkie, where we have now facilitated over £100 million in funding for UK businesses.
Nnaemeka Obodoekwe
Be honest about your journey and clear about your aspirations. The Cambridge Trust exists to support talented people whose financial situation does not reflect their potential. A scholarship can change the entire direction of your life, as it did for mine.
About the Rowan Williams Cambridge Studentship
This scholarship was established by the Cambridge Trust to support students who face severe barriers in coming to study in Cambridge. It is available to applicants at all levels, in any subject, and is tenable at any College.
Visit the Rowan Williams Cambridge Studentship page to find out more and apply.
