OPay, Google, 3MTT name top 10 teams for Challenge boot camp, N18m prize

OPay, Google, and the Federal Government’s 3 Million Technical Talent programme have named the top 10 teams advancing to the boot camp stage of the National Innovation Challenge. Over 11,000 students and 2,200 teams applied; after a six-week employability webinar, 48 were shortlisted and the best 10 selected. The teams will work with mentors to refine solutions before the final stage, competing for a total prize pool of ₦18 million.

This matters because the challenge goes beyond cash prizes—it offers practical experience, industry mentorship, and a pathway to the OPay Futures pipeline, which can lead to three‑month internships with OPay and partner firms. It reflects a growing appetite among young Nigerians to turn ideas into real‑world solutions and boosts employability in the tech sector.

The top 10 teams are: Lyrclip – Miva Open University; ResearchFlow – Olabisi Onabanjo University; CampusCheck – Federal University, Oye‑Ekiti; Veripay – MOAUM, Benue State University; CoursePass – Lagos State University of Science and Technology; Teamcobuild – Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka; Verified Hands – Ahmadu Bello University; SkoolConnectNG – Yaba College of Technology; Thrifty – Ahmadu Bello University; and Team Paye – Adeleke University. The boot camp starts soon; full details and updates are at www.opayweb.com/innovation-challenge/ and OPay’s social handles @OPay_NG on X and @opay.ng on Instagram. If you’re a student with a tech idea, how will you start building skills and networks to compete in future cycles?

SOURCE: https://nairametrics.com/2026/09/30/opay-names-top-10-teams-in-n18m-national-innovation-challenge/