Nigeria’s leading fintech company, OPay, in partnership with Google., has expanded its N1.2bn scholarship programme to include an Innovation Challenge aimed at empowering students with practical digital skills and problem-solving opportunities.
The company officially opened applications for the 2026 edition of the programme, now rebranded as OPay Scholars, as part of its N1.2bn, 10-year commitment to supporting education in Nigeria.
The newly introduced Innovation Challenge is designed to encourage students to develop technology-driven solutions to real-life problems while preparing them for future career opportunities in the digital economy.
In what has been described as a first-of-its-kind initiative within Nigeria’s corporate sector, OPay is moving beyond traditional scholarship support by integrating financial aid, technical skills development, innovation training, and career pathways into a single programme.
Applications for the Innovation Challenge will run from May 25 to June 14, 2026.
Students from tertiary institutions across Nigeria are eligible to apply as teams of five through the company’s registration portal. Each participating team is expected to identify a real-world challenge and propose a technology-based solution to address it.
As part of the application process, participants must download the Gemini application and initiate basic prompts on the platform.
The competition offers significant rewards for outstanding teams. The grand prize winner will receive N10m, while the first and second runners-up will receive N5m and N3m respectively.
Beyond the cash prizes, participants will also gain access to webinars and bootcamp sessions focused on practical skills, industry exposure, and career preparation. Top-performing participants will additionally benefit from OPay Futures, a programme designed to connect students with potential career opportunities at OPay and partner organisations.
Speaking on the initiative, the Chief Commercial Officer of OPay, Elizabeth Wang, said education remains a powerful tool for transformation.
She noted that the expansion of the scholarship programme in 2026 reflects OPay’s commitment to equipping young Nigerians with practical skills, innovation opportunities, and career pathways that will enable them to succeed in the digital economy and create positive impact within their communities.
Also commenting on the partnership with Google, the Chief Operations and Technology Officer of OPay, Dotun Adekunle, said the collaboration would strengthen the programme by giving students access to technology tools capable of transforming ideas into practical solutions.
According to him, integrating Google Gemini into the challenge will help young Nigerians build relevant digital skills, solve pressing problems, and prepare for the future of work and innovation.
The Director for West and East Africa at Google, Olumide Balogun, said Africa’s next wave of innovation would come from young people solving local challenges.
He explained that the partnership aims to provide Nigerian students with practical technological tools to test, refine, and scale innovative ideas.
Since its launch, the OPay Scholarship Programme has supported hundreds of students across Nigeria. With the addition of the Innovation Challenge and OPay Futures, the company says it is deepening its commitment to education, innovation, and youth empowerment.
Founded in 2018, OPay provides digital financial services including money transfers, bill payments, airtime and data purchases, card services, and merchant payments. The fintech company is licensed by the Central Bank of Nigeria and insured by the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation.
