OPay Partners With OAU to Sponsor Students With Scholarships for the Next 10 Years
OPay has once again taken steps to help a large number of Nigerian youths better manage their educational needs by organising a scholarship programme for students at the Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU.
On March 12, 2025, OPay signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with OAU to set the plan of awarding scholarships to students of the institution in motion.
L-R: Mr. Omoboriowo Damilola Isaac, OAU SUG President; Prof. Niran Oluwanranti, OAU Director Linkages & Partnerships; Prof. Ebun Adejuyigbe, Executive Director COR; Prof. O.M.A. Daramola, OAU's DVP Admin; Mr. Justin Zhang, OPay's Chief Public Affairs Officer; Mr. Adekunle Adeyemi, OPay's Head of Marketing; Ms. Kinifeosi Joy, OAU SUG Secretary General, and a member of OAU's faculty. Read more: https://www.legit.ng/education/1645620-opay-extends-n12-billion-10-year-scholarship-initiative-obafemi-awolowo-university.
In a chat with OPay’s Chief Public Affairs Officer, Justin Zhang, he explained how they decided to give back to society with their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) project and how Obafemi Awolowo University is one of the beneficiaries of this project.
According to Zhang, OPay started their N1.2 billion scholarship initiative in 2024 with two universities, University of Ibadan and Ahmadu Bello University (ABU).
He explained that in 2025, OPay had decided to take things further by giving OAU 20 scholarship slots every year for the next 10 years. For this scholarship, selected OAU students will get N300,000 each to cover their educational expenses in the university.
Justin Zhang also explained how OPay has taken steps to partner with other universities to be a part of the N1.2 billion scholarship program. According to him, their goal is to sponsor 400 Nigerian students across different states in the country.
He said: “We passed the breakeven last year, OPay is making profit, not too much, so we want to show Nigerians that we are serious, want to stay here for a long time and work closely with the society, we want to make money and give some returns to the society. Making money isn’t the purpose for this project.
"For this scholarship project, we are not targeting one or two top universities in Nigeria, we want to sponsor 400 students in Nigeria, you know there are 36 states and many universities here, so we want to select 20 universities to give them 20 slots each. We have sent letters to different universities, some have given us feedback and some are still in the process. If any university has interest in the scholarship they can also get in contact with us, we would consider all the conditions and decide whether to say yes or no because we can only sponsor 20 universities according to our plan but in the future we can extend our tentacles.”
Justin Zhang also had this to say about OPay’s scholarship initiative:
"Last year marked the beginning of an innovative project, where we had to start somewhere to better understand the process and its workings. To do this, we launched the initiative at UI in the South-West and ABU in the North, allowing us to observe regional differences and identify the best ways to ensure smooth implementation. This year, we're expanding the program to universities across Nigeria. Our goal is to sponsor 400 students annually, providing each with N300,000, totaling up to N120 million each year. Over the course of the next 10 years, we plan to invest up to N1.2 billion in this project.”
OPay’s Chief Public Affairs Officer also emphasised the company’s dedication to fostering growth for young Nigerians as he explained why education was the focus of their CSR project. According to him, young people were the future of society, and the tough economy has made it very hard for many of them to focus on their education.
Zhang said: “I have been in Nigeria for 13 years, and during this time, I've witnessed the immense talent here. Many of these individuals possess great potential but lack the necessary resources to fully realize it. That's why OPay has decided to step in and support them, helping them focus more on their studies. Our goal is to enable these students to create greater value for society after graduation and to continue improving themselves. This is the driving force behind our initiative.”
Obafemi Awolowo University’s Deputy Vice Chancellor (Administration), Professor O.M.A Daramola, explained the selection process for the OPay scholarship initiative.
L-R: Mr. J. Adeola Odedire, OAU's Dean of Student Affairs; Ms. Shoyemi-Amodeni, Legit.NG Editor; Prof. Theodora O. Bello, Dean, OAU Faculty of Education; Prof. Niran Oluwanranti, OAU Director Linkages & Partnerships; Prof. Ebun Adejuyigbe, Executive Director COR; Prof. O.M.A. Daramola, OAU's DVP Admin; Mr. Justin Zhang, OPay's Chief Public Affairs Officer; Mr. Anuoluwapo Awoyeye, Legit.NG Editor; Dr. Lukman O. Olasunkanmi, OAU Senior Lecturer; and Prof. Odu Babajide Olugbeminiyi, Director, OAU Central Office of Research. Read more: https://www.legit.ng/education/1645620-opay-extends-n12-billion-10-year-scholarship-initiative-obafemi-awolowo-university.
According to him, the selection process is going to be based on merit and the selected students would be decided by a five-person committee which would include OPay and OAU’s representatives. He said:
“The selection process is going to be based on merit. You know OAU is known for merit and standards, you can ask from anywhere. Those that have done it before, we have a template that we follow and in that MOU it is stated that a committee will be set up to manage and do the selection and that will be three from OAU and two from Opay. If it’s a five-man committee from both parties, I know they will come up with the best results and it’s going to be based on standards.”
Speaking further, OAU’s Deputy VC (Admin) also expressed his excitement about OPay’s partnership with the institution. He said:
“I feel ecstatic and very happy about this collaboration between Opay and OAU. This is one of the things that Obafemi Awolowo University stands for. We have so many relationships with other people and organizations, we’ve signed so many MOUs but this one is very unique in that it is targeted at our students and because of that, we are very happy. It’s not a small feat to have OPay partnering with Obafemi Awolowo University. We appreciate Opay for doing this, it’s one of their CSR and we appreciate it a lot.”
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Source: Legit.ng
Adunni Amodeni (Content Editor) Adunni Amodeni is a journalist with ten years of working experience in the media industry. She graduated from Babcock University in 2012 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Mass Communication. Adunni previously worked with Encomium Magazine (2012-2015). Email: shoyemi.adedolapo@corp.legit.ng
Taiwo Owolawi (Entertainment Editor) Taiwo Owolawi is an entertainment and lifestyle journalist with four years of work experience at Legit.ng. She graduated from Osun State University with a degree in English and International Studies in 2016. She has also moved on to pursue courses in Public Relations and Copywriting. Taiwo emerged as Legit.ng's Best Entertainment Editor in 2022. Contact: taiwo.owolawi@corp.legit.ng.
