Nigeria Fintech Company, OPay has launched a cyber security laboratory initiative, the OPay CyberLab Project, for Nigerian universities.
The initiative was announced at the 2025 Empowering Futures Conference in Lagos, alongside the first-year milestone of the company’s ₦1.2 billion ($800,000) , ten-year scholarship programme.
According to OPay, the CyberLabs are designed to equip students with practical cyber security skills, strengthen technology infrastructure on campuses, and expose learners to industry-grade systems including the company’s in-house Face ID verification and fraud-detection technologies.
Elizabeth Wang, Executive Director and Chief Commercial Officer at OPay Nigeria, said the project was inspired by a request from the University of Calabar (UniCal) to support its cyber security learning facilities.
“The CyberLab Initiative will give students real-world experience with advanced systems, preparing them to build and protect the technologies of tomorrow,” Wang said.
OPay engineers will partner with university faculties to deliver hands-on training, workshops, and annual lectures on cyber and fintech innovation. The programme will also include periodic assessments to ensure relevance in emerging digital threats.
The company has signed an MoU with 20 tertiary institutions including Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, the first to join the scholarship programme in November 2024 and UniCal, which recently formalised its cyber security collaboration.
The CyberLab initiative builds on the scholarship scheme launched last year. 126 million ($87,100) has been distributed to 420 students in the first cycle, selected on merit and financial need. Funds are paid directly into verified student accounts, OPay said.
CSR Manager, Itoro Udo, stated the initiatives reflect OPay’s broader goal of delivering social impact through technology.
“Our journey has never been just about technology. It is about building bridges and connecting communities,” he said.
University leaders welcomed the move but urged expanded support for long-term student outcomes.
The Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics) of the University of Jos, Prof. Rahila Plangnan, called for an alumni tracking system to monitor beneficiaries after graduation.
At the event, schools also requested internship and employment pipelines for trained students. Dr. Basilia Igbokwe, Rector, Federal Polytechnic Nekede, described the programme as “a lifeline,” while advocating job placement for graduates.
UniCal’s Dean of Student Affairs, Prof. Patrick Egaga, said the cyber lab would aid digital forensics and crime-fighting efforts, especially in tackling phone-enabled kidnapping.
“The use of cybersecurity tools can help detect or identify criminal locations,” he stated.
Founded in 2018, OPay is licensed by the Central Bank of Nigeria and insured by the NDIC. The company says it will continue scaling the CyberLab programme to additional universities over the next decade, aligning education with Nigeria’s growing cyber security and technology workforce needs.
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