A member of the House of Representatives, Nkemkanma Kama, has facilitated a long-term scholarship partnership between leading fintech firm Opay and Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu-Alike Ikwo, providing sustained financial support to indigent students from his constituency.
The initiative, formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on Thursday at the university, will see no fewer than 20 students from Ohaozara, Onicha and Ivo Federal Constituency receive annual scholarships valued at ₦300,000 each throughout their undergraduate studies.
The scheme is designed as a rolling intervention over a ten-year period, ensuring continuity of access for successive cohorts of beneficiaries.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Opay’s Corporate Social Responsibility Manager, Itoro Udo, described the programme as a strategic investment in human capital development, underscoring the company’s commitment to advancing equitable access to higher education and fostering innovation among Nigerian youths.
According to Udo, the scholarship scheme has evolved beyond direct financial aid into a more holistic capacity-building framework.
He noted that beneficiaries would also participate in an innovation challenge platform aimed at stimulating technology-driven problem-solving and cross-institutional collaboration among students nationwide.
“We are not only providing financial assistance but also creating an ecosystem that nurtures critical thinking, digital competencies and innovation,” he said, adding that the initiative aligns with broader shifts in the global knowledge economy where technology remains a key driver of socio-economic transformation.
Udo further disclosed that the innovation component of the programme would be implemented in collaboration with international technology partners, thereby exposing students to global best practices and competitive learning environments.
In his remarks, Kama said the scholarship was attracted to address gaps in corporate social responsibility distribution and to enhance educational opportunities for students within his constituency. He explained that his intervention followed observations that Ebonyi State had previously been underrepresented in the fintech company’s CSR outreach.
“This partnership is a deliberate effort to expand access to quality education and reduce financial barriers confronting academically capable but economically disadvantaged students. It is structured to ensure sustainability, with 20 students benefitting annually over the next decade.”
The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Professor Daniel Nwachukwu, commended the initiative, describing it as consistent with the institution’s strategic focus on inclusive education and student support mechanisms.
He expressed optimism that the programme would not only improve retention and completion rates among indigent students but also enhance the university’s innovation ecosystem.
Nwachukwu assured the institution’s full cooperation in the implementation of the scheme, noting that partnerships of such nature are critical in strengthening university industry linkages and advancing research-informed learning.
The Opay scholarship scheme represents a growing trend among private sector actors leveraging corporate social responsibility frameworks to support educational development, particularly in underserved regions, while simultaneously cultivating a pipeline of digitally skilled graduates equipped for contemporary labour market demands.
