OPay X Google Innovation Challenge 2026 | WUIN

Deadline: June 14, 2026

Benefits:
1st Place

OPay National Innovator of the Year

₦10,000,000 project grant + ₦300,000 Scholarship Award
Certificate + national media feature
Mentorship with industry experts
Advisory support for prototype development
Job opportunity

2nd Place

₦5,000,000 project grant + ₦300,000 Scholarship Award
Certificate + national media feature
Advisory support for prototype development
OPay Innovation Fellowship

3rd Place

₦3,000,000 project grant + ₦300,000 Scholarship Award
Certificate of participation + national media feature
OPay Innovation Fellowship

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

Incomplete applications will not be considered. All submissions must be in English. Files accepted: PDF, JPEG, or MP4 (max 10MB each)

Applicants must have downloaded the Gemini App and initiated basic prompts within Gemini.
Must be an undergraduate student offering any course of study in a Nigerian Tertiary Institution.
Must have a minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) score of 2.8/4 for Colleges/Polytechnics, or 3.5/5 (second-class upper credit) for Universities.
Preference will be given to students who can demonstrate significant financial hardship.

HOW TO APPLY

Apply here

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Objectives

Build digital and problem-solving skills in Nigeria's next generation of innovators.
Drive technology solutions for real social impact — from healthcare to agriculture to finance.
Connect top talent with mentorship, funding, and career opportunities in Africa's tech ecosystem.

Programme Stages & 2026 Timeline

May - June

Applications & Screening

Over 100,000 applications are projected to be received. 48 teams of 240 students to be shortlisted and announced by June.

Jun – Aug

Webinars & Exam

6-week virtual webinar series + timed exam (30 Qs, 30 mins). The top 10 teams advance to the Bootcamp.

Aug - Sept

Boot Camp

Finalists will attend a 6-week virtual innovation bootcamp hosted by OPay Digitals experts.

July - December

OPay Futures

High-performing contestants go through mentorship with internships and job placement opportunities.

Nov 6

Grand Finale

The top 4 teams will pitch their refined solutions to tech industry giants and angel investors at the Empowering Futures Conference 2.0.

About the Opay Innovation Challenge

The Innovation Challenge is an expanded, holistic initiative that builds on OPay's flagship ₦1.2 billion, 10-year scholarship commitment. By combining financial aid with an innovation challenge, professional skill-building, mentorship, and job placement opportunities, it provides talented Nigerian undergraduates with an enabling platform to become the next generation of African technovators and drivers of digital transformation.

About Taskrika

Taskrika is a decentralised advertising platform designed to help businesses connect directly with real people, aiming to eliminate bot traffic and ad fraud in digital marketing. It serves as a platform where brands can have their stories seen, heard, and engaged with by real users who are incentivised to participate.

WUIN is Taskrika’s human capital development directory, where you can find information on funding opportunities in different sectors, from education, careers, entrepreneurship, technology, personal development, and more.