OPay, FG Name 10 Finalists for ₦18m Innovation Challenge After 11,000 Entries
- OPay, Google and the Federal Government’s 3MTT programme name 10 finalists from more than 11,000 participating students
- Finalist teams will attend an intensive boot camp to refine technology solutions with mentorship from industry professionals
- ₦18 million in prizes and potential three-month internships are on offer through OPay’s National Innovation Challenge
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Pascal Oparada is a journalist with Legit.ng, covering technology, energy, stocks, investment, and the economy for over a decade.
OPay, in partnership with Google and the Federal Government’s 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme, has unveiled 10 finalist teams for its National Innovation Challenge, with ₦18 million in prizes at stake.
The finalists emerged from more than 11,000 students who participated in the nationwide competition, highlighting growing interest among young Nigerians in technology, entrepreneurship and problem-solving.
Source: UGC
Organised under the expanded OPay Scholars Programme, the challenge attracted about 2,200 teams from institutions across the country, with participants developing technology-driven solutions to real-world problems.
10 teams survive nationwide screening
Following the initial selection process, 48 teams advanced to a six-week employability webinar designed to improve their technical knowledge, workplace skills and readiness for the next phase.
At the end of the programme, 10 teams secured places in the final stage.
They are Lyrclip from Miva Open University; ResearchFlow from Olabisi Onabanjo University; CampusCheck from Federal University Oye-Ekiti; Veripay from Benue State University; and CoursePass from Lagos State University of Science and Technology.
Others are Teamcobuild from Nnamdi Azikiwe University; Verified Hands and Thrifty from Ahmadu Bello University; SkoolConnectNG from Yaba College of Technology; and Team Paye from Adeleke University.
Finalists head to intensive boot camp
The selected teams will proceed to an intensive boot camp, where industry professionals will mentor them as they develop, test and refine their solutions ahead of the final competition.
OPay’s Corporate Social Responsibility Manager, Itoro Udoh, said the initiative goes beyond rewarding winning ideas and is intended to help young Nigerians build practical skills and gain access to 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.
₦18m prize, internship opportunities at stake
The National Innovation Challenge has a total prize pool of ₦18 million and is designed to expose participants to practical innovation, professional mentorship and Nigeria’s growing technology ecosystem, according to a report by MSME Africa.
OPay also disclosed that outstanding participants from the webinar stage could be considered for its OPay Futures pipeline, opening another potential career path.
Source: UGC
Selected participants may gain access to three-month internship opportunities with OPay and its partner organisations.
The initiative forms part of OPay’s broader investment in education, digital skills, youth employability and innovation in Nigeria.
The 10 teams will now refine their ideas at the boot camp before proceeding to the final stage, where the eventual winners of the ₦18 million prize pool will emerge.
FG opens free iDICE training for 50,000 Nigerian youths
Legit.ng earlier reported that the Federal Government has opened applications for a free digital and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) training programme targeting 50,000 young Nigerians across the South-West.
The initiative, under the Investment in Digital and Creative Enterprises (iDICE) Programme, is designed to equip participants with in-demand digital and outsourcing skills while creating pathways to local and international employment opportunities.
Source: Legit.ng
