OPay has launched the 2026 OPay Innovation Challenge, offering Nigerian undergraduate students ₦19.2 million in grants, mentorship, training, and career opportunities to support the development of technology solutions addressing real-world challenges. The initiative, launched in partnership with Google, is open to students across Nigerian universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education, with applications running until June 14, 2026.

What Is on Offer

The winning team will receive a ₦10 million project grant alongside scholarship support. Runners-up will benefit from multi-million naira grants, mentorship access, innovation fellowships, and professional development opportunities. Beyond the prize pool, participants gain access to training bootcamps, mentorship sessions, internships, and career pathways through OPay's Futures programme.

The challenge invites students to develop scalable solutions across fintech, artificial intelligence, healthtech, agritech, cybersecurity, climate innovation, edtech, and digital tools for small businesses. Projects are expected to demonstrate measurable social and economic impact rather than theoretical concepts alone.



The Bigger Picture

The Innovation Challenge is part of OPay's broader ₦1.2 billion, ten-year commitment to education, innovation, and youth empowerment in Nigeria. By investing in student innovators at the earliest stage of their careers, OPay is building a pipeline of founders, builders, and technology leaders from within Nigeria's university system rather than waiting for talent to emerge independently.

The Google partnership adds credibility and technical depth to the programme. For students accepted into the challenge, access to Google's engineering ecosystem alongside OPay's fintech infrastructure represents a combination of resources that most Nigerian student founders would not otherwise encounter until much later in their careers.

What Nigerian Students Should Know

Applications are open now and close June 14, 2026. Any student enrolled in a Nigerian university, polytechnic, or college of education is eligible to apply. Teams rather than individuals are encouraged, reflecting the collaborative nature of the problem-solving the challenge is designed to promote. Students working on ideas in any of the listed sectors should treat this as one of the most accessible and well-resourced opportunities currently available to early-stage innovators in Nigeria.