OPay Partners with OOU to Award N300k Scholarships to 20 Indigent Students Annually
In a major move to support underprivileged students, OPay Digital Services Limited has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago Iwoye, Ogun State. The partnership will provide annual scholarships of ₦300,000 each to 20 indigent undergraduates of the university.
The MoU was signed at the university’s Senate building on Friday, with Justin Zhang, OPay’s Chief Public Affairs Officer, stating that the initiative is a commitment to helping young Nigerians fulfil their academic goals.
Zhang, who has lived in Nigeria for 13 years, said the company was inspired by the financial struggles faced by many bright but disadvantaged students. He emphasized that education is key to shaping the country’s future, and OPay’s growing profits have made it possible to give back to society.
“Many students have to pause schooling for years to work and save money. If supported, they could graduate by 23 or 24 and contribute more meaningfully to society,” Zhang said.
The scholarship initiative, which began last year with the University of Ibadan and Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, now includes 20 Nigerian universities, with 20 students per institution. This brings the total annual funding to ₦120 million, with the first phase planned to last 10 years.
Beyond scholarships, OPay is also donating educational materials like books, bags, and stationery to secondary schools and preparing to empower 100 women through vocational training and business startup support.
OOU’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Ayodeji Agboola, praised OPay for investing in education, describing the initiative as aligning with the university’s goals to make students educable, employable, and entrepreneurial.
“We urge OPay to support our technology hub and research fairs. Our students have great innovations but lack the funds to scale them,” Agboola added.
The university is seeking more collaborations to support student entrepreneurship, and the VC encouraged OPay to partner in research, boot camps, and innovation showcases to help students present their ideas to the global market.
Muizz Olatunji, President of the OOU Students’ Union, also thanked OPay for easing the financial pressure on students.
“Many students struggle to pay fees. This scholarship will ease their burden and allow them to focus on learning,” Olatunji noted, also expressing hope that OPay would support the university’s entrepreneurial programmes.
