It was celebration time as Africa’s leading financial technology company, OPay, marked the successful completion of the first year of its N1.2 Billion, 10-Year OPay Scholarship Programme.

The 2025 Empowering Futures Conference held on Friday, October 31 at the upscale Marriot Hotel Ikeja, Lagos, brought together an array of distinguished guests that included university vice-chancellors, key opinion leaders and OPay scholars.

As part of the event, OPay announced the delivery of its first-year commitment, having disbursed N126 million in scholarships to 420 outstanding students across 20 Nigerian tertiary institutions. This is in line with the 10-year Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) which the company signed with partner universities across Nigeria.

Speaking at the event, Elizabeth Wang, Chief Commercial Officer at OPay, said: “At OPay, true success is not defined only by innovation in technology and financial service – it lives in the impact we create in society. This belief shapes everything that we do and guides our vision to become the most respected and popular financial technology company that actively creates social value.

“This vision inspired the OPay 10 years N1.2 billion scholarship plan, our corporate social responsibility commitment to invest 120 million annually in supporting 400 outstanding students across 20 Nigerian tertiary institutions.”

Continuing, Wang said: “In 2024, we embarked on this decade long journey with the purpose of expanding access to education, unlocking opportunities and empowering the next generation of leaders. Today we proudly mark the completion of our first year, a year filled with inspiring stories of resilience, excellence and renewed hope.

“In this year, OPay disbursed N126 million to 420 million students in 20 institutions nationwide, providing each with N300,000 in educational support.

“The road ahead is long and rich with possibility. For the next nine years and beyond, OPay remains steadfast in its mission to impact lives and empower Nigeria’s future.”

Several vice-chancellors from participating institutions, who spoke at the conference, commended OPay’s sustained commitment to education. One of them, Professor Florence B. Obi, promised to promote OPay’s initiatives on campus, encouraging students to embrace digital financial inclusion and leverage the scholarship to achieve academic success.

“We are proud to partner with OPay to open the doors of opportunity for our students — when we equip young minds with digital-financial tools, we’re not only supporting their studies, we’re enabling them to meaningfully participate in tomorrow’s economy,” Prof. Obi said.

She expressed delight and gratitude that, as part of its broader commitment to digital empowerment, OPay also launched the OPay CyberLabs Project in partnership with the University of Calabar, marking the establishment of the first CyberLab under the programme.

The CyberLabs Project is designed to revamp university technology facilitiesand provide hands-on training sessions for students, led by OPay’s top technology professionals. These sessions will expose students to emerging global technologies and practical digital skills, preparing them for the realities of today’s innovation-driven economy.

Commenting on the CyberLabs programme, Elizabeth Wang explained: “Through the CyberLabs Project, we are not only upgrading university technology facilities but also creating platforms where students can learn directly from some of the best minds in the industry. Our goal is to bridge the gap between academia and real-world innovation, ensuring Nigerian students are equipped with the knowledge and tools to thrive in today’s technology-driven world.”

On his part, Itoro Udo, CSR Manager at OPay, reaffirmed the company’s vision to build a financial ecosystem that empowers people and creates shared value, with education positioned as a key driver of national progress. “Education,” Udo said, “is the future of society, and students are the builders of that future. By investing in both learning and technology, OPay will continue to demonstrate its role as a catalyst for inclusive growth in Nigeria.”

Established in 2018, OPay has in the past seven years emerged as a leading financial institution in Africa with the mission to make financial services more inclusive through technology. The company offers a wide range of payment services, including money transfer, bill payment, airtime & data purchase, card service, and merchant payments, among others. Renowned for its super-fast experience and reliable network, OPay is licensed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and insured by the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), with the same insurance coverage as commercial banks.