OPay, a popular fintech company in Nigeria, is working to help young Nigerians gain the skills and support they need to tackle real-world issues. They have teamed up with Google and the Federal Government’s 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme. Together, they announced the top 10 teams moving forward in their National Innovation Challenge, part of the expanded OPay Scholars Programme.
The call for applications brought in over 11,000 students and 2,200 teams. This shows a strong interest among young Nigerians to create innovative solutions for various challenges. After a careful selection process, 48 teams were chosen to join a six-week employability Webinar. This Webinar aimed to improve their knowledge, build work-related skills, and get them ready for the next part of the challenge.
At the end of the Webinar, 10 standout teams were named as the top teams of the National Innovation Challenge. These teams will now move to an intensive Boot Camp. During this Boot Camp, they will work with experienced mentors and industry experts. This will help them develop, test, and refine their solutions before the final stage of the challenge.
Itoro Udoh, the CSR Manager at OPay, spoke about the challenge. She said the programme aims to provide real pathways for young Nigerians to turn their ideas and skills into opportunities.
“Beyond the challenge, our goal is to equip young Nigerians with practical skills, mentorship and pathways to opportunities that can create lasting impact,” she added.
The National Innovation Challenge has a total prize pool of N18 million. It does more than just recognize innovative ideas. It also gives participants chances to gain hands-on experience, improve their solutions, and connect with professionals in the innovation and technology sectors.
This programme also opens doors beyond the competition. Students who perform exceptionally well during the Webinar will be considered for the OPay Futures pipeline. This offers potential three-month internship opportunities with OPay and other partner organizations.
Through the National Innovation Challenge, OPay is showing its commitment to supporting education, skills development, innovation, and job readiness among young Nigerians. As the top 10 teams head to the Boot Camp, they are getting closer to turning their ideas into real solutions that can address important challenges.
Meet the Top 10 Teams of the OPay National Innovation Challenge:
Lyrclip, Miva Open University; ResearchFlow, Olabisi Onabanjo University; CampusCheck, Federal University, Oye-Ekiti; Veripay, MOAUM, Benue State University; CoursePass, Lagos State University of Science and Technology; Teamcobuild, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka; Verified Hands, Ahmadu Bello University; SkoolConnectNG, Yaba College of Technology; Thrifty, Ahmadu Bello University; and Team Paye, Adeleke University.
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