- Fintech Signs MoU With Miva Open University
- 16 More Tertiary Institutions To Join Scheme By End Of 2026
Eight years after setting up operations in Nigeria, fintech company OPay is putting more money into education, expanding its ₦1.2bn scholarship programme to more tertiary institutions across the country.
The company’s latest move brings Miva Open University into the scheme, following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between both organisations.
With the new partnership, the number of tertiary institutions covered by the 10-year OPay Scholars Programme has risen to 25.
But the company is not stopping there. OPay said it plans to bring 16 more institutions into the programme before the end of 2026, taking the total to 41.
The scholarship programme, valued at ₦1.2bn over 10 years, is aimed at giving Nigerian students sustained support through tertiary education.
Rather than treating the initiative as a one-off intervention, OPay said it deliberately structured the programme over a decade to provide students with more consistent educational support.
The inclusion of Miva Open University also gives the programme a foothold in a different kind of tertiary education. Miva uses a technology-driven and flexible approach to university education, offering students an alternative to the traditional campus model.
For students and their families, the importance of such support goes beyond paying school fees.
The cost of keeping a young person in higher education can quickly add up, with families having to contend with accommodation, transportation, textbooks, learning materials and other expenses.
OPay said its investment was driven by the belief that helping young Nigerians acquire quality education would ultimately benefit the wider economy.
The company noted that today’s scholarship beneficiaries could become tomorrow’s engineers, healthcare professionals, technology experts, entrepreneurs, innovators and business leaders.
The scholarship scheme is also part of a broader youth development push by the fintech company.
Its other initiatives include the OPay National Innovation Challenge, organised in partnership with Google and 3MTT, as well as OPay Futures, all targeted at creating opportunities for young Nigerians.
OPay said the initiatives reflect its belief that Nigeria’s young population will play a central role in determining the country’s economic future.
The decision to commit to a 10-year scholarship programme is also noteworthy at a time when many corporate social responsibility projects are built around short-term interventions.
By spreading its commitment over a decade, the company said it hopes to give more students an opportunity to benefit from educational support over time.
The planned expansion to 41 institutions will further widen the pool of students who can access the programme.
For families struggling with the rising cost of education, such assistance can make the difference between a student staying in school and being forced to interrupt his or her education.
For OPay, meanwhile, the scholarship programme represents part of its broader effort to build a lasting relationship with the Nigerian market.
Eight years after it began operations in the country, the company says it wants its presence in Nigeria to be measured by more than its fintech business.
Its growing investment in education and youth-focused programmes suggests an attempt to put human capital at the centre of its long-term commitment to the country.
As the scholarship programme expands to more institutions, the real measure of its impact will ultimately be seen in the students who graduate, build careers, create businesses and contribute to Nigeria’s development.
