OPay reaffirms commitment to financial security, reward winners in grand prize giveaway

By Chinenye Anuforo

OPay has restated its commitment to strengthening security across digital financial services as it continues to expand its footprint in Nigeria. The company made this known during the OPay Grand Prize Giveaway Ceremony, Phase One, which also marked the conclusion of its #MyOpaySecurityVote Challenge.

Speaking at the event, Elizabeth Wang, Chief Commercial Officer of OPay, said that as more Nigerians embrace digital payments, ensuring safety and reliability has become the company’s top priority.

“At OPay, our mission is simple: to make financial services more inclusive through technology. But inclusion without safety cannot succeed. From the very beginning, we have dedicated the majority of our efforts to building advanced security features to protect our users,” Wang said.

According to her, customer feedback has been central to shaping OPay’s security products. She explained that a survey conducted three years ago revealed that account safety was the number one concern for users. That feedback led to the introduction of USSD Lock, a feature that enables users to secure their accounts immediately from any mobile phone if their card or device is lost.

To address weaknesses in traditional login methods such as OTPs and email codes, OPay also developed its own in-house Face ID verification system, trained with Nigerian-specific data to improve accuracy. Wang noted that the system is now powering key security features such as Large Transaction SIM and MyDot, positioning OPay as a leader in biometric security within the financial services sector.

The fintech has also deployed real-time fraud prevention systems, which can identify suspicious accounts, block transactions deemed high-risk, and alert customers instantly. In addition, the Large Transaction Double Check requires users to reconfirm recipient details for transfers above ₦50,000, while transfers above ₦100,000 demand further verification by typing in the recipient’s name.

Another innovation, the Emergency Lock, was designed to protect customers in situations where they might be under duress. With one tap, users can freeze their accounts for 24 hours, ensuring that even if they are forced to unlock their phones, no transactions can be carried out.

“These products were born directly from user needs. Together, they form a powerful security ecosystem that protects millions of Nigerians every day and builds confidence in digital finance,” Wang said.

Also speaking at the ceremony, OPay’s Enterprise Marketing Manager, Oluwaseun Sumola, said that the company’s product journey has always been user-driven. “We wanted to understand what customers needed to make their financial lives easier, and that guided every decision we made,” he explained.

The ceremony celebrated winners from the #MyOpaySecurityVote Challenge, a campaign that mobilized Nigerians across social media to engage with the company’s security innovations. OPay said the challenge underscored growing awareness among users about the importance of digital safety, while also highlighting the role of technology in preventing fraud and safeguarding funds.

With over 40 million registered users in Nigeria, OPay said it remains committed to investing in new technologies, building local capacity, and collaborating with regulators to strengthen trust in the digital financial ecosystem.