OPay Digital Services Limited has granted ₦126 million worth of scholarships to 420 Nigerian students in 20 tertiary institutions since 2024.

The initiative was in furtherance of its 10-year ₦1.2 billion plan. 

Executive Director and Chief Commercial Officer of OPay Nigeria, Elizabeth Wang, disclosed this on Friday in Lagos State, as it marked one-year of the kick-off of its 10-year ₦1.2 billion Corporate Social Responsibility scholarship plan.

The event was with the theme, “OPay Corporate Social Responsibility Empowering Futures 2025.”

The company, with the initiative, designed to contribute to the growth and development of education in the country, had also in one year, provided each of the students with ₦300,000 as education support, after signing memorandums of understanding with the institutions.

Mrs Wang said, “In the past one year, we’ve disbursed ₦126 million, supported 420 students, and worked together with 20 universities. We’re proud to announce today, we’ve already delivered our first year commitment, and we’ll continue to deliver in the next nine years together as well, and even beyond.

“We belive in the future we. Who is the future? The students are the future, education is the future. That’s why OPay will like to make contribution to the future of Nigeria. We want to do more for the students, and to education.”

The company said the initiative was aimed at investing at least ₦120 million yearly on at least 400 students from the institutions in10 years.

Institutions that were recipients of the grants included the Ahmadu Bello University; University of Ibadan; Obafemi Awolowo University; University of Ilorin; Federal University of Technology, Minna; Benue State University; University of Calabar; Olabisi Onabanjo University; and Bayero University.

Others were the Kwara State Polytechnic; University of Abuja; University of Uyo; Ambrose Alli University; Nasarawa State University; University of Maiduguri; Federal University of Health Sciences, Bauchi;  University of Jos;  University of Nigeria; Lagos State University; and the Federal Polytechnic, Nekede.

Congratulating the company for the one-year-old initiative, the OAU Vice Chancellor, Simeon Bamire, expressed appreciation for their impactful effort in the education sector.

Mr Bamire said, “The students are always very happy when they know some people are interested in supporting their cause So, they believe their future is bright, and we so believe, because it gives us some sort of succour. As we teach them, they concentrate, because they have supporters around them. I want to use this opportunity to call on others to emulate what OPay is doing.”

In his remark, UNIILORIN VC, Egbewole Wahab, pleaded with the company to further extend its gesture by helping educational institutions to equip their laboratories.

Mr Wahab stated, “Yes, you’ve created scholarships for students and they want to study. It’s also important to create enabling environments. It is not too much to extend to our various laboratories in equipping them, so that they (students) can do more and more.”