A landmark Memorandum of Understanding has been signed between OPay, a financial institution in Nigeria, and the premier, the University of Ibadan, which include awards of N300,000 scholarships to 20 exceptional students annually over the next 10 years.
Opay said the partnership reinforced the financial firm’s dedication to fostering academic excellence and empowering the next generation of Nigerian leaders.
The MOU signing ceremony, held at the University of Ibadan, was attended by representatives from OPay, senior staff of the university and some beneficiaries of the scholarship.
Opay said the scholarship initiative would be extended to Ahmadu Bello University, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, and 17 other institutions nationwide as it would sponsor 400 students across the campuses, investing N120m annually.
“Over the next 10 years, this long-term commitment aims to contribute more than N1.2bn to significantly amplify OPay’s positive social impact across Nigeria’s academic landscape,” it stated. The UI Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Kayode Adebowale, expressed his enthusiasm for the initiative, stating, “We are excited to be pioneers of this project from OPay. This beams a ray of hope to promising youths and helps them focus solely on their academics
“This award not only celebrates the achievements of these 20 students but also reflects OPay’s commitment to empowering the next generation of leaders.”
OPay CTO/COO, Dotun Adekunle, stated, “OPay is honoured to enter a long-term partnership with the University of Ibadan to support Nigeria’s future leaders over the next 10 years. By providing sustained financial support, we aim to help these students dedicate themselves to their studies and achieve their full potential.”
A 200 level student of Computer Science at the University of Ibadan, Tijani Rose, said the scholarship will allow her to focus more on her studies. In her words, “This was an unexpected but very welcome opportunity. I feel really excited to have been a beneficiary of this scholarship programme.. This scholarship will greatly impact my education, by a very large stride. Now, I can take my mind off where the next school fees will come from and can focus on what really matters – my grades and studies..”
Another recipient from the Nursing Department, Toheeb Adeogun Adetayo expressed his gratitude to OPay, saying “ I am feeling so happy right now being a beneficiary of OPay’s scholarship. It was so unexpected, I just received the call that I am one of the beneficiaries…. I am very grateful to OPay.”
