OPay has announced an expansion of its N1.2bn scholarship initiative through a new partnership with Google, introducing an Innovation Challenge aimed at helping students build practical skills, develop ideas, and access future career opportunities.
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The fintech company has officially opened applications for the 2026 edition of the programme, now rebranded as OPay Scholars, as part of its ongoing N1.2bn, 10-year investment in education across Nigeria.
With the latest expansion, the programme moves beyond traditional scholarship support by combining financial assistance, technology exposure, innovation training, and career development into a single platform designed for students.
Applications for the Innovation Challenge opened on May 25 and will close on June 14, 2026.
Students in tertiary institutions across Nigeria can participate by forming teams of five and submitting entries through the registration portal. To qualify, each team must identify a real-life challenge and propose a technology-driven solution.
As part of the process, participants are also expected to download and engage with Google Gemini by initiating basic prompts on the platform.
Winning teams stand to receive major rewards. The grand prize winner will take home N10m, while the first and second runners-up will receive N5m and N3m respectively.
Beyond the prize money, students will gain access to structured webinars and bootcamp sessions focused on practical learning, digital skills, industry exposure, and future career readiness.
Top-performing participants will also have access to OPay Futures, an initiative designed to connect students with potential career opportunities within OPay and partner organisations.
Speaking on the programme, Chief Commercial Officer of OPay, Elizabeth Wang, said education remains one of the strongest drivers of change and noted that the company’s long-term investment is focused on helping young Nigerians build skills and opportunities that extend beyond financial support.
Chief Operations and Technology Officer at OPay, Dotun Adekunle, said the collaboration with Google strengthens the programme by giving students access to tools that can transform ideas into practical solutions while preparing them for the future of work.
Also commenting on the partnership, Olumide Balogun said some of Africa’s biggest innovations will come from young people solving local challenges and added that integrating Gemini into the challenge gives students a practical tool to test, improve, and scale their ideas.
Since its launch, the OPay Scholarship Programme has continued to support students across Nigeria and expand its reach.
Founded in 2018, OPay provides digital financial services including transfers, bill payments, airtime and data purchases, card services, and merchant payments. The company operates under a license from the Central Bank of Nigeria, and customer deposits are insured by the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation
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