OPay’s motto—Beyond Banking—was in full display at the OPay Empowering Futures Conference 2025, held at the Marriott Hotel, Lagos, Nigeria, on October 31st, 2025, in celebration of OPay’s 10-Year scholarship programme.
In 2024, OPay made a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) commitment to disburse ₦1.2 billion over ten years to support students across 20 universities in Nigeria, including the University of Abuja, the University of Calabar, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), University of Ilorin, Ahmadu Bello University, Benue State University, and Kwara State Polytechnic.
The event, held to celebrate the completion of one year of this commitment, was hosted by Ebuka Obi-Uchedu and attended by several other celebrities, including Nancy Isime, Enioluwa Adeoluwa, Tunde Onakoya, Layi Wasabi, Bukunmi Adeaga-Ilori, and Hauwa Lawal.
OPay’s CSR Manager, Itoro Udo, opened the event with a heartfelt expression of gratitude and pride for the milestone achieved.
“At OPay, it has never been just about technology. It has been about using that technology to build bridges and connect people and communities. We see young Nigerians who once faced uncertainty about their dreams now daring to dream again. We hear their voices tremble with gratitude as they speak of a tomorrow that they once thought was lost,” Udo said in his speech.
But if his words left anyone in doubt about OPay’s dedication not only to improving Nigeria’s banking system but also to improving the lives of ordinary Nigerians, the testimonials of beneficiaries sprinkled throughout the event were a strong confirmation of the programme’s impact.
Over the past year, OPay has awarded scholarships totalling ₦126 million to 420 students in 20 Nigerian universities, many of whom gave testimonials to the effect of the scholarships on their lives and education.
For Ayuba Bello, a student of Ahmadu Bello University, the OPay scholarship was nothing short of a lifeline. As one of ten children in his family, continuing his education seemed impossible, and the only remaining option was for his father to sell the family’s land. The scholarship changed that, allowing him to stay in school without forcing his family into sacrifice.
His story was not much different from the stories of students like Festus Eromobor, Favour Fache, Timilehin Ayoola, and Ajoke Abdullahi, all of whom attested that the scholarship had made a significant difference in their education, allowing some to pay tuition and continue schooling, and others to buy laptops that enhance their learning experience.
“OPay’s scholarship has transformed my academics positively. It enabled me to graduate as the best graduating student of my department, and boosted my confidence,” Abdullahi said at the event.
This commendation highlighted the programme’s potential to significantly shape Nigeria’s future by improving the quality of its graduates.
In the same vein, representatives from the 20 partner institutions praised OPay for its benevolence towards the students. They stressed the importance of tracking the project’s impact beyond the school walls and encouraged the fintech to establish an alumni network to document how beneficiaries’ lives have been transformed over time.
They also encouraged the company to extend its benevolence beyond students to the institutions.
Elizabeth Wang, Executive Director and Chief Commercial Officer at OPay Nigeria, expressed OPay’s enthusiasm to do more. She affirmed the fintech’s drive to be more than a bank and to contribute to Nigeria’s future through programmes like this.
“In the future, we would like to do more together with you all. We are going to build a brighter future for Nigeria.”
Wang also announced the development of a new cybersecurity lab in partnership with the University of Calabar. The cybersecurity lab, a monumental facility within the institution, will be a crucial hub for technology needs across the institution and its environs. It will also transform the technological learning opportunities available to students in the institution.
To close the event, representatives of the partner universities posed with their cheques, and new partner institutions signed memorandums of understanding, welcoming OPay into their institutions.
Outside the event hall, students, university faculty, and guests continued their conversations, exchanging ideas, contacts, and future plans in an atmosphere of excitement and possibility.
