In a bid to empower young Nigerians with the skills, opportunities and support needed to build solutions for real-world challenges, OPay, a leading fintech company in Nigeria, in partnership with Google and the Federal Government’s 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme, has announced the top 10 teams advancing to the next stage of its National Innovation Challenge, an initiative under the expanded OPay Scholars Programme.

The call for applications attracted over 11,000 students and 2,200 teams, reflecting strong interest and a growing appetite among young Nigerians to develop innovative solutions to challenges across sectors. Following a rigorous selection process, 48 teams were shortlisted to participate in a six-week employability Webinar designed to strengthen their knowledge, build workplace-relevant skills and prepare them for the next stage of the challenge.

At the end of the Webinar stage, 10 outstanding teams emerged as the top teams of the National Innovation Challenge and will now advance to an intensive Boot Camp. At the Boot Camp, the teams will work with experienced mentors and industry professionals to further develop, test and refine their solutions ahead of the final stage of the challenge.

Speaking on the challenge, Itoro Udoh, CSR Manager, OPay, said the programme is focused on creating practical pathways for young Nigerians to turn their ideas and skills into opportunities, adding, “Beyond the challenge, our goal is to equip young Nigerians with practical skills, mentorship and pathways to opportunities that can create lasting impact.”

With a total prize pool of N18 million, the National Innovation Challenge goes beyond recognising innovative ideas. It provides participants with opportunities to gain practical experience, strengthen their solutions and engage with professionals within the innovation and technology ecosystem.

The initiative also creates opportunities beyond the competition. Students who score exceptionally well during the Webinar stage will be considered for the OPay Futures pipeline, providing access to potential three-month internship opportunities with OPay and other partner organisations.

Through the National Innovation Challenge, OPay is strengthening its commitment to supporting education, skills development, innovation and employability among young Nigerians. As the top 10 teams advance to the Boot Camp, they move one step closer to transforming their ideas into solutions that can address real-world challenges and create a meaningful impact.

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.