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OPay, in partnership with Google and the Federal Government’s 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme, has announced the 10 teams that emerged as finalists in its National Innovation Challenge.
The challenge, organised under the expanded OPay Scholars Programme, attracted more than 11,000 students and 2,200 teams, highlighting growing interest among young Nigerians in developing technology-driven solutions to real-world problems.
Following the initial selection process, 48 teams were shortlisted for a six-week employability webinar aimed at improving their knowledge, workplace skills and readiness for the next stage of the competition.
At the end of the webinar, 10 teams emerged as the top performers and will proceed to an intensive boot camp, where they will work with experienced mentors and industry professionals to develop, test and refine their solutions.
The 10 teams are Lyrclip from 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.
Speaking on the initiative, OPay’s CSR Manager, Itoro Udoh, said the programme was designed to create practical pathways for young Nigerians to convert 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,” Udoh said.
The challenge has a total prize pool of N18 million and is designed to provide participants with practical experience, mentorship and exposure to professionals in the technology and innovation ecosystem.
OPay said the initiative would also provide opportunities beyond the competition. Students who perform exceptionally well during the webinar stage will be considered for its OPay Futures pipeline, which could provide access to three-month internship opportunities with OPay and other partner organisations.
The fintech company said the National Innovation Challenge forms part of its broader efforts to promote education, skills development, innovation and employability among young Nigerians.
The top 10 teams will now proceed to the boot camp before the final stage of the competition.
