OPay, a leading fintech company in Nigeria, has officially opened applications for the 2026 edition of its flagship scholarship programme, now called OPay Scholars, continuing its N1.2 billion, 10-year commitment to support education across Nigeria.

Applications for the Innovation Challenge will run from May 25 to June 14, 2026.

Students in tertiary institutions across

Nigeria can apply now as a team of five students via https://www.opayweb.com/innovation-challenge

Building on its strong impact in the previous year, OPay is expanding the programme to include an Innovation Challenge in partnership with Google and OPay Futures.

This addition is designed to empower students with practical skills, encourage problem-solving, and prepare them for real-world opportunities.

In a first-of-its-kind initiative in Nigeria’s corporate landscape, OPay is going beyond traditional scholarship support by combining financial aid, technical skills training, innovation development, and career pathways into one programme.

The Innovation Challenge will reward outstanding ideas and solutions from students in tertiary institutions across Nigeria.

To participate, applicants must apply as a team of five undergraduate students from any tertiary institution in Nigeria. Each team is expected to identify a real-life problem and present a technology-driven solution to address it. Applicants must have downloaded the Gemini App and initiated basic prompts within Gemini. The grand prize winner will receive N10 million, the first runner-up will receive N5 million, and the second runner-up will receive N3 million.

Beyond the prizes, participants will benefit from a structured webinar and bootcamp. These sessions will focus on building practical skills, exposing students to industry knowledge, and preparing them for future career opportunities. Top participants will also gain access to OPay Futures for potential career opportunities with OPay and other partners.

Elizabeth Wang, Chief Commercial Officer, OPay, said: “Education is one of the most powerful tools for change. Through our N1.2 billion, 10-year scholarship commitment, OPay has continued to invest in the education and future of young Nigerians. With the expansion of the programme in 2026 to include the Innovation Challenge and OPay Futures, we are going beyond financial support to equip students with practical skills, innovation opportunities, and career pathways that will help them thrive in the digital economy and create meaningful impact in their communities.”

Commenting on the programme and partnership with Google, Dotun Adekunle, Chief Operations and Technology Officer, OPay, said: “Our partnership with Google on the Innovation Challenge strengthens the impact of the OPay Scholars Programme by giving students access to technology and tools that can help turn ideas into practical solutions. By integrating Google Gemini into the challenge, we are empowering young Nigerians to build relevant digital skills, solve real problems, and prepare for the future of innovation and work.”

Speaking of the partnership, Olumide Balogun, Director, West & East Africa, Google, said: “The most exciting innovations in Africa will come from young people solving local problems, and our role is to make sure they have the right technology to make that happen. By embedding Gemini into the OPay Innovation Challenge, we are giving Nigeria’s sharpest students a powerful and practical tool to test, refine, and scale their ideas.”

Since its launch, the OPay Scholarship Programme has continued to grow in scale and impact, supporting hundreds of students across Nigeria. With the introduction of the Innovation Challenge and OPay Futures, OPay is reaffirming its commitment to education, innovation, and youth empowerment.

Students from tertiary institutions across Nigeria are encouraged to apply and take advantage of this opportunity. Apply now via https://www.opayweb.com/innovation-challenge

For more information, visit www.opayweb.com and follow OPay on LinkedIn, @OPay NG on X, and @opay.ng on Instagram for updates.

About OPay

OPay was established in 2018 as a leading fintech company in Nigeria with the mission to make financial services more inclusive through technology. The company offers a wide range of payment services, including money transfers, bill payments, card services, airtime and data purchases, and merchant payments, among others. Renowned for its fast and reliable network and strong security features that protect customers’ funds, OPay is licensed by the CBN and insured by the NDIC with the same insurance coverage as commercial banks.

By David Torough, Abuja

Terrorists intensified attacks across North Central Nigeria at the weekend, killing three worshippers and abducting at least 15 others during a night vigil in Kwara State, while several passengers kidnapped along a highway in Kogi State reportedly escaped after their captors fell asleep in the forest.

In Kwara, gunmen stormed a prayer ground at Ori-Oke Ajaiye on the outskirts of Ikiran Village in Ekiti Local Government Area on Saturday night, opening fire on worshippers during a vigil and causing panic across nearby communities.

The Kwara State Police Command confirmed that three worshippers were killed while 15 others were abducted to an unknown destination.

The attack was reported by Pastor Adebayo Abiodun of Ijo Ajaye Ati Igbala, who was conducting the vigil when the assailants invaded the area, firing sporadically before fleeing through nearby forest routes.

Police Commissioner Adekimi Ojo described the assault as “Gruesome and barbaric,” saying tactical units, intelligence operatives, PMF personnel and drone teams had been deployed to rescue the victims and track down the attackers. Security agencies have also intensified bush-combing operations and intelligence gathering across the affected communities.

Residents said many families spent the night searching for missing relatives as fear spread across villages in the Ikerin/Ajuba axis. The latest incident adds to growing insecurity in Kwara South, where worship centres have repeatedly come under attack in recent months.

Meanwhile, in neighbouring Kogi State, some passengers abducted by gunmen along the Itobe-Ajegwu-Anyigba road in Ofu Local Government Area regained freedom after reportedly escaping from captivity when their abductors slept off in the forest.

The attackers had ambushed two commercial buses, including one bearing Ebonyi registration number NKE 737 XA, and also abducted a motorcycle rider during the operation. Security operatives, local vigilantes and hunters reportedly launched a manhunt shortly after the incident, although the kidnappers initially evaded arrest.

However, three victims — identified as Micheal Adejo, Monday and Mariam Yakubu — later escaped and narrated how the heavily armed hoodlums, numbering about 10 and wielding AK-47 rifles and pump-action guns, marched passengers deep into the bush after robbing them of money, phones and valuables.

One of the escapees said they seized the opportunity to crawl away after noticing that some of the kidnappers had fallen asleep. The victims eventually found their way to a nearby village after trekking through the forest.

Security sources also disclosed that a suspect, identified as Monday Agi, had been arrested in connection with the attack and is currently in police custody, while efforts to rescue the remaining abductees and apprehend the fleeing gunmen continue.

“As he delivered 13,591 votes to president Tinubu in his Ward 8”

From Mike Tayese, Yenagoa

As the 2027 political activities is gathering momentum and with Presidential Primary done and dusted by the Ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the Minister of State for Petroleum (Oil), Senator Heneiken Lokpobiri has declared that Bayelsa state is for APC.

The Minister handed down this while answering questions from Newsmen after the declaration of results from the presidential primary election in Ward 8 in Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa state.

According to him, “today is the presidential primary to nominate who will be the candidate of APC in 2027 presidential election. We started with the state Assemblies, then House of Representatives and Senate.Today is the nomination for who will be our presidential candidate”.

“As you can see, this is Ekeremor Ward 8, this is my own ward, over thirteen thousand registered members of the APC are here to participate in the primary, am not a voter, as a political appointee, the law says I cannot vote or be voted for, but am entitled to be an observer

“Am very happy, voting has been done and our candidate president Bola Ahmed Tinubu has won, the other candidate they don’t know and he got zero vote. As we are speaking here, the excercise is going on in all the 12 wards in Ekeremor LGA . So am very happy that this excercise started peacefully and is ending peacefully.

‘We are fully prepared for whosoever want to challenge our candidate from other parties. We have credible candidates to present against their candidates

“With me here is Barr. Tari-ere Joyce Gita APC candidate for Ekeremor Constituency 1. Hon. Living Mitin APC candidate for Constituency 2, and Barr. Berry Negerese as APC candidate for Ekeremor Constituency 3. While Chief Fidelis Agbiki is the Bayelsa West Senatorial District candidate.

“There is no any other parties in bayelsa again outside APC, the state is APC, anyone you can’t find here is a retired politicians. Anyone you can find here is retired.

“We are sure of victory in Ekeremor LGA come 2027 general elections. We are United, strong to defeat any other candidates from other parties
Am not aware of any other candidates running against Mr President, take whatever you’re seeing here, zero result for whoever is contesting against Mr President .

“We can assure you that the same thing is happening in all the,105 Wards in the state. Bayelsa is for APC”, he said.

Declaring the results, the returning officer of the presidential primary in Ward 8 Ekeremor Local Government Area, Ashanti Bekomowei said, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu scored 13,591 votes, while his contender Stanley Osifo scored zero vote and therefore declared president Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the winner.

The Bayelsa West Senatorial District candidate Chief Fidelis Agbiki and the three Assembly candidates, said APC will come out victorious in all the elective offices come 2027 general elections.

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