OPay, in partnership with Google and the Federal Government’s 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme, has selected 10 teams for the next phase of its National Innovation Challenge under the expanded OPay Scholars Programme.
The competition attracted more than 11,000 students organised into over 2,200 teams, with participants developing technology-driven solutions to real-world challenges across different sectors.
Following the initial selection, 48 teams progressed to a six-week employability webinar focused on workplace skills, knowledge development and preparing participants for the subsequent stages of the competition.
Ten teams emerged from the webinar stage and will now participate in an intensive boot camp.
During the boot camp, the finalists will work with mentors and industry professionals to develop, test and refine their ideas before the final stage of the challenge.
OPay innovation challenge targets practical skills
Itoro Udoh, CSR Manager at OPay, said the initiative was designed to give young Nigerians opportunities to turn their ideas and technical skills into practical solutions.
“Beyond the challenge, our goal is to equip young Nigerians with practical skills, mentorship and pathways to opportunities that can create lasting impact,” Udoh said.
The National Innovation Challenge has a total prize pool of N18 million, while participants are also expected to gain practical experience and exposure to professionals in Nigeria’s technology and innovation ecosystem.
OPay said the programme extends beyond the competition itself, with exceptional participants from the webinar stage eligible for consideration for the OPay Futures pipeline.
Those selected could receive opportunities for three-month internships with OPay and other partner organisations.
10 teams advance to OPay boot camp
The 10 teams selected for the boot camp are:
- 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
- Team Paye — Adeleke University
OPay said the challenge forms part of its broader efforts around education, skills development, innovation and employability among young Nigerians.
With the 10 finalists moving into the boot camp, the competition will now shift from the selection of ideas towards developing and testing the proposed solutions ahead of the final stage.
