OPay, Nigeria’s leading financial technology platform, has officially announced a deadline extension for its National Innovation Challenge, moving the application cutoff from June 14 to July 3, 2026. As a flagship initiative of the newly expanded OPay Scholars Programme 2026, the challenge is being held in strategic partnership with the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy’s 3MTT program and Google. This extension is designed to ensure a more inclusive selection process, giving a broader range of young Nigerian visionaries the opportunity to compete for a share of the ₦18 million prize pool. Beyond the financial rewards, successful participants will gain access to exclusive mentorship and internship opportunities aimed at fostering the next generation of tech leaders. Prospective applicants can submit their entries through the official portal at www.opayweb.com/innovation-challenge.
The extension follows overwhelming interest from tertiary institution students across the country and numerous requests from prospective applicants seeking additional time to complete and submit their entries. Students in tertiary institutions across Nigeria can still apply now as a team of five students via https://www.opayweb.com/innovation-challenge
The OPay Scholars Programme is an expanded education and talent development platform designed to empower the next generation of Nigerian innovators, leaders, and problem-solvers. The programme builds on OPay’s landmark N1.2bn, 10-year scholarship commitment to tertiary institutions across Nigeria and now consists of three key pillars: the N1.2bn 10-Year Scholarship Programme, the National Innovation Challenge, and OPay Futures, a career and employability development initiative.
In a further boost to the programme, OPay has also entered into a strategic partnership with the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) Programme, the Federal Government’s flagship digital skills initiative under the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy.