Eight Years On, OPay Deepens Commitment to Nigeria, Expands N1.2bn Scholarship Scheme

Sunday Ehigiator

Eight years after establishing its presence in Nigeria, fintech company, OPay, has reaffirmed its long-term commitment to the country with the expansion of its B1.2 billion 10-year scholarship programme to additional tertiary institutions.

The company, through the initiative, which is part of its broader OPay Scholars Programme, has now partnered with 25 tertiary institutions, following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Miva Open University.

OPay also disclosed plans to extend the scholarship programme to 16 additional tertiary institutions by the end of 2026, which would bring the total number of institutions covered to 41.

The development, according to the company, underscores its commitment to sustained investment in Nigerian youths and human capital development, rather than relying solely on short-term or one-off in-terventions.

The N1.2 billion scholarship programme was structured as a 10-year commitment to provide sustained educational support to Nigerian students, particularly those pursuing tertiary education.

The latest partnership with Miva Open University expands the reach of the initiative to students en-rolled in a technology-driven institution offering a flexible and technology-enabled approach to higher education.

Miva’s inclusion in the programme, OPay said, would provide additional opportunities for students to benefit from scholarship support while pursuing their academic programmes through a different model of tertiary education.

The expansion also forms part of OPay’s wider youth-focused initiatives, which include the OPay Na-tional Innovation Challenge, in partnership with Google and 3MTT, as well as OPay Futures.

According to the company, its investment in education reflects a broader belief that the development of young Nigerians is critical to the country’s long-term economic and social progress.

The beneficiaries of the scholarship programme, it noted, represent potential future professionals, en-trepreneurs, innovators, engineers, technology experts, healthcare workers and leaders whose contri-butions could shape Nigeria’s development.

For many students and their families, sustained scholarship support can help reduce the financial pres-sure associated with tertiary education, enabling beneficiaries to remain in school and focus on their studies.

OPay’s decision to structure the initiative over a 10-year period also reflects a shift from short-term cor-porate social responsibility interventions towards longer-term investments in human capital.

With the planned addition of 16 institutions by the end of 2026, the programme is expected to reach 41 tertiary institutions, further widening access to educational support for young Nigerians.

Eight years after commencing operations in Nigeria, the company said the continued expansion of its education initiatives reflects its intention to maintain a long-term stake in the country’s development by investing in the next generation of Nigerians.