3 weeks ago
Nigerian financial technology firm OPay, in collaboration with Google and the Federal Government’s 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme, has revealed the top 10 student teams progressing to the next phase of its National Innovation Challenge. The initiative is a key component of the expanded OPay Scholars Programme, which aims to equip young Nigerians with the necessary skills, mentorship, and support to develop solutions for real-world problems.
The competition drew significant interest nationwide, receiving applications from more than 11,000 students and 2,200 teams. Following a rigorous evaluation process, 48 teams were initially selected to participate in a six-week employability webinar. This preparatory phase focused on enhancing the participants' knowledge and building professional skills to prepare them for subsequent stages of the competition.
Following the webinar phase, 10 outstanding teams were selected to advance to an intensive Boot Camp. During this upcoming stage, the finalists will collaborate with industry professionals and experienced mentors to test, develop, and refine their projects before the final round of the challenge.
The National Innovation Challenge features a total prize pool of N18 million. Beyond the financial rewards, the initiative offers participants hands-on experience, opportunities to improve their projects, and direct engagement with professionals in the technology and innovation sectors.
Itoro Udoh, the CSR Manager at OPay, emphasized the programme's focus on creating practical opportunities for youth development.
“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.
In addition to the main competition, high-performing students from the webinar stage will be evaluated for the OPay Futures pipeline. This pathway offers potential three-month internship opportunities with OPay and its partner organizations, further supporting employability and career development.
The Top 10 Teams and Their Institutions:
- Lyrclip – Miva Open University
- ResearchFlow – Olabisi Onabanjo University
- Campus
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