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In every corner of the world, a quiet revolution is underway. One led not by presidents or CEOs, but by students, innovators, and young activists determined to save the planet they will inherit. From the streets, to classrooms and tech hubs all over Lagos, Nairobi, Accra, London and New York, young people are standing at the forefront of the global fight against climate change. Their message is clear: the time for talk is over, the time for action is now.

A Generation Awakens: The youth led climate movement gained international momentum in 2018 when Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg began her solitary school strike for the climate outside Sweden’s parliament. Within months, millions of students world-wide joined her call for urgent climate action under the banner of Fridays for Future. However, beyond protests, a deeper, more diverse movement is emerging, one that combines science, activism, and innovation. In Africa, where climate change impacts the most despitee contributing the least to global emissions, young leaders are responding with creativity and resilience. Nigerian environmentalists; researchers and activists have developed projects and public education campaigns, part of which is this weekly Climate change column hosted by none other than the newspaper with the widest reach in Nigeria; TheNation’ss Newspaper. There’s also a youth championed ‘eco-feminist,’ project, empowering women and girls in rural communities to lead reforestation and clean energy projects. Als,o another loud voice is that of Dr. Odetokun’s ‘William and Miriam climate change initiative’. In Kenya, Elizabeth Wathuti founded the Green Generation Initiative, planting thousands of trees while inspiring youth to reconnect with nature. These voices represent a new wave of environmental consciousness one that sees sustainability not as a choice, but as a duty.

Innovation as Climate Action: Beyond rallies and awareness campaigns, young people are turning science and technology into powerful climate tools. Across universities and startups, youth innovators are designing affordable solar lamps, developing biodegradable packaging, and creating digital apps that track pollution or manage waste recycling.

In Nigeria, student engineers have designed simple biogas systems that convert organic waste into cooking gas, and a huge green energy source. A good example is Architect Olaiya Bisirodipe’s patented invention; ‘the FAST-TRACK e-waste disposal device system’. In Ghana, youth-led enterprises are recycling plastic waste into building materials, turning environmental problems into business opportunities. These ideas don’t just cut emissions, they create jobs and strengthen local economies. Digital activism is also changing how climate action spreads. Through social media, young people are educating peers, organisingg clean-up programs, and calling out polluters with unprecedented reach. Their energy, creativity, and digital fluency are giving climate advocacy a voice that is impossible to ignore.

Challenges of a Youth-Led Movement: Despite their passion, young activists face real challenges. Many lack funding, political support, or platforms to influence policy. In some countries, youth climate advocates are dismissed as ‘too young’ or ‘too idealistic.’ Others operate in regions where climate data, research, or public awareness are limited. Yet, they persist; building networks, forming alliances, and refusing to be silenced. Across the world, youth movements are demanding not just inclusion in discussions but a seat at the decision making table. As one young Kenyan activist recently said, ‘We don’t want to inherit promises; we want to inherit solutions.’

Education and Empowerment: One of the most powerful ways to strengthen youth climate leadership is through education. Integrating climate science into school curricula helps young people understand the problem early and equips them with tools to innovate solutions. Around the world, universities and NGOs are introducing green entrepreneurship programs and sustainability incubators to channel youthful creativity into real impact. The United Nations, the African Union, and various environmental organisations have also launched youth focused programs to mentor the next generation of environmental leaders. Such initiatives recognise that the energy of youth, when paired with opportunity, can accelerate global progress toward climate goals.

The climate struggle is, at its heart, a struggle for the future and no group understands that better than the young. While older generations debate timelines and targets, today’s youth are engaging in climate change research, planting trees, building solar farms, and reshaping mindsets. They are proving that climate action is not only necessary but possible. As one young activist put it, ‘We might not have created this crisis, but we will be the generation that ends it.’ Their courage, innovation, and determination offer a glimpse of a greener, fairer world; one where hope itself becomes a form of resistance.

The future, it seems, is not waiting. It is already being built, by the youth.

In Nigeria’s urban slums, when a child has a fever or a woman goes into labour, the first point of call is rarely a hospital. It is the neighbourhood chemist, the traditional birth attendant (TBA), or even the bonesetter down the street. These informal healthcare providers (IHPs) are close, trusted, and affordable-but they operate outside the formal health system. Without supervision, their practices vary widely, referrals are mostly verbal, and the quality of care is inconsistent.

Recognising this reality, the CHORUS Nigeria Project 1, part of the global Community-led Responsive and Effective Urban Health Systems (CHORUS) Research on Urban Health, set out to bridge this critical gap. Implemented by the Health Policy Research Group at the University of Nigeria, the project’s goal is simple but transformative: link informal providers to the formal health system so that even the poorest residents in slums can access safe, timely, and equitable care.

The journey began with listening. From 2021, the CHORUS team held consultations with state health authorities, primary healthcare agencies, and community leaders in Enugu and Onitsha, two cities with dense slum populations. Through mapping and reconnaissance, eight informal settlements were identified. Baseline research revealed what many had suspected but few had quantified: nearly nine out of ten slum residents support linking informal providers to the health system, and most are even willing to pay small fees for better quality care.

Armed with this evidence, the team convened a co-creation workshop where government officials, providers, and community members co-designed simple, locally workable solutions. These included structured training, easy-to-use referral booklets, registers for record-keeping, and job aids to guide diagnosis and treatment. Beyond the tools, CHORUS supported the creation of an Urban Health Unit within the Enugu State Ministry of Health, ensuring a permanent home in government to coordinate, supervise, and evaluate the linkage.

The impact is now visible. Patent medicine vendors check blood pressure before dispensing drugs. TBAs use gloves and know when to refer complicated births. Bonesetters disinfect tools and recognize when fractures need X-rays. Community leaders, trained to monitor progress, take the message to churches and markets: ‘If your provider cannot handle it, ask for a referral.’ Referrals, once rare and verbal, are now written and tracked. Feedback between providers and PHCs is improving, one phone call and one referral slip at a time.

Challenges remain – some providers still fear losing clients if they refer, and patients struggle with the costs of transport or diagnostics – but the foundation is strong. The Urban Health Unit now serves as an accountability bridge between informal providers and the formal system. For the first time, data from slums can feed into the District Health Information System (DHIS2), ensuring visibility and inclusion in state planning.

The lesson from the CHORUS project is clear: fixing the health system is not always about building new hospitals, it’s about strengthening the links that already exist. When policymakers invest in these connections, they invest in trust, safety, and sustainability. Nigeria’s journey to universal health coverage will not begin and end in conference rooms; it also includes the chemist shops, maternity homes, and bonesetter homes where care already happens. Because when the system listens to where care truly begins, it learns how to heal where it hurts the most.

Former presidential aide, Mr Reno Omokri, has called on Nigerians to support the Dangote Refinery, saying it’s a national asset that will shore up the value of the Naira.

Omokri spoke yesterday during his tour of the refinery’s facilities in the Lekki Free Trade Zone in Lagos.

‘Nigerians should be proud of what is happening here. All of us have a role to play. The citizens, the unions, and the government must support the refinery because its export will bolster the value of the Naira,’ he stated.

He warned that any actions to undermine the facility will lead to a decline in the value of the Naira, emphasising that it is in the interest of Nigerians, not just Dangote, to ensure the investment succeeds.

Omokri, accompanied by the Chairman of the Bayelsa State Council of Traditional Rulers, King Dakolo, praised the facility as the world’s largest single-train refinery, with control second only to that of ANAMCO in Saudi Arabia.

‘This is not an up-to-date facility. It is an up-to-tomorrow facility,’ the former aide to President Goodluck Jonathan stated.

He emphasised that the refinery is an asset to the country, explaining that it will not add to the pressure on public utilities.

According to him, ‘This refinery is not a drain on the public power or water supply. In fact, they produce 10% of Nigeria’s electricity. In this facility (refinery), they generate 500 MW. At the fertiliser plant, they generate 150 MW, bringing the total to 650 MW. So, we need to support this initiative.’

He commended the President of Dangote Industries Limited, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, for his entrepreneurial spirit and patriotism.

He also commended President Bola Tinubu for his foresight in envisioning the Lekki Free Trade Zone in Lagos State many years ago when he was the state governor.

Omokri marvelled at the refinery’s worth of $25 billion, predicting it could rise to $30 billion after the fertiliser plant’s expansion.

Speaking at the refinery’s terminal, he said 650 ships had loaded products from the facility within a year of operation.

He said the achievement was significant because it will enhance the export’s value and increase the purchasing power of Nigerians.

Omokri stated, ‘The Naira in your pocket will have no value if we do not replace imports with locally produced goods and services. Dangote is the reason Nigeria is no longer the top petrol importer in Africa. South Africa has overtaken us. In fact, we now have a complete turnaround. Nigeria is now the largest exporter of petroleum products in West Africa.

‘The more ships that leave here, the more the Naira gains value. That is why we all must support this refinery to operate. We all need to support Dangote for everything he is doing.’

He stated that the refinery, together with other positive policies of the Tinubu administration, had reversed the country’s trade deficit.

‘Last year, we had a trade surplus of $14 billion, Omokri emphasised, predicting, ‘This year, we are about to surpass that. Already, have surpassed last year’s surplus by 44.3%. It’s because of things like this.’

He urged Nigerians to look inwards and buy made-in-Nigeria products to strengthen the country’s economy.

‘My message to Nigerians is, ‘Let’s buy Nigerian. Let’s be intentional about buying petrol refined in Nigeria,’ Omokri said.

He expressed delight that the company’s facilities were being maintained by the youth, including women from across the country.

Kolomoni has introduced two new personal banking features – ‘Snap and Pay’ and ‘Schedule Payment’ – aimed at enhancing user convenience, reducing transaction errors, and streamlining everyday financial tasks.

The Head of Personal Banking at Kolomoni, Simbiat Kazeem, disclosed this on Saturday in Akure, Ondo State capital, while unveiling the new tools designed to elevate the banking experience for customers.

According to Kazeem, the ‘Snap and Pay’ feature allows users to snap a photo of an account number, after which the app automatically extracts the details using Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology.

‘This eliminates the need for manual entry, making transactions faster, more accurate, and effortless,’ she explained.

Kazeem noted that the ‘Schedule Payment’ feature enables users to automate recurring bills, subscriptions, family commitments, and transfers – ensuring timely payments without the stress of remembering deadlines.

‘Kolomoni’s mission is to simplify finance for our users, and these features reflect our commitment to providing innovative solutions that save time and reduce errors,’ she said.

‘Snap and Pay and Schedule Payment empower our customers to manage their finances efficiently while focusing on what truly matters in their lives.’

Kazeem added that the new tools reinforce Kolomoni’s position as a leader in digital banking innovation, particularly in a competitive fintech space where convenience and ease-of-use are critical to customer retention.

She emphasized that by integrating advanced technology with practical banking solutions, Kolomoni continues to ensure control, reliability, and peace of mind for its users.

On access, Kazeem explained that the Kolomoni Personal Banking app is available for download on Google Playstore and the Apple App Store, allowing both existing and prospective customers to enjoy automated payments and seamless transactions anytime, anywhere.

The introduction of the new features, according to her, underscores Kolomoni’s ongoing commitment to financial inclusion and to empowering Africans through innovative digital banking solutions across Nigeria and The Gambia.

ýThe Chief of Staff to Cross River Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Ironbar, has commended Bassey Edet Otu, describing him as ‘a divine gift to Cross River State and to Nigeria at large.’

ýIn a birthday tribute, Ironbar described the Governor as ‘a visionary, a reformer, and a lighthouse of hope whose leadership has transformed lives and rekindled faith across the state.’

ýThe Chief of Staff said the Governor’s 66th birthday presented ‘a moment not just to celebrate Your Excellency’s life, but to pause, ponder and reflect on the blessing you have been – to me, to my family, and to the entire people of Cross River State.’ He said Governor Otu has continued to prove that leadership, when rooted in faith and love for humanity, becomes a channel of divine sweetness.

ýAccording to him: ‘Your Excellency, you have consistently and unequivocally demonstrated that you are not only a leader but a visionary and a reformer. Through your unwavering faith in God and virtuous example, you have ushered in an era of sustainable sweetness, transforming our beloved state from a civil service enclave into a thriving hub of entrepreneurship, innovation, and inclusive growth.’

He added that under the Governor’s inspiring stewardship, ‘dreams have taken root, destinies have been transformed, and hope has found a home once again in the hearts of our people.’

ýReflecting on the sweeping impact of the Otu administration, Ironbar declared: ‘From the sun-lit mangrove-curated shores of Calabar, across the emerald rainforests of Boki, to the cloud-crowned hills of Obanliku, your administration exudes a sweet fragrance of peace, mending fissures and drying the tears of the people.’

He lauded the Governor’s ‘prayerful and compassionate diligence’ which, he said, ‘has knitted our people together, forged hope in place of despair, nurtured socio-cultural progress instead of retrogression, and generated economic development in place of stagnation.’

ýThe Chief of Staff observed that Governor Otu’s ‘uncompromising commitment to transparency, integrity, and magnanimity has rekindled public trust in governance.’

He noted that the Governor’s people-first philosophy ‘has built bridges across political divides, embraced every creed and culture, and ensured that no citizen is left behind.’

According to him: ‘From rural electrification to expansive road networks, from empowering security services to revitalising tourism, Your Excellency has governed and fathered a renaissance – one defined by peace, opportunity, and shared prosperity.’

ýHe continued: ‘Your Excellency, you are the blessing the Most High sent to Cross River State at the appointed time. You have brought sweetness to our polity, hope to our people, and direction to our development.’

Ironbar praised the Governor’s humility and spiritual depth, describing him as ‘a man whose faith anchors his leadership and whose compassion binds the state as one family under God.’

ýOn this ‘glorious occasion of your birthday,’ Ironbar said, ‘we join the heavens and the earth to celebrate a man whose life is a divine gift, a leader whose light continues to illuminate the path of greatness for our state and nation.’ He prayed that God would ‘continue to bless you with excellent health, divine wisdom, unshakable strength, and boundless courage.’

ý’Happy Birthday, Your Excellency, my Boss,’ the Chief of Staff concluded. ‘May your days be long, your legacy eternal, and your leadership continue to inspire future generations. May the sweetness you have brought to Cross River State flow endlessly, and may your name remain inscribed in gold as the symbol of hope, unity, and purposeful governance.’

The 2027 governorship aspirant of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Oyo State, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, has requested for the support of members of Theatre Arts and Motion Pictures Practitioners Association of Nigeria (TAMPAN) and On Air Personalities (OAPs) towards realisation of his gubernatorial ambition in 2027.

He said their support became necessary being one of major influencers of opinions, noting that development and progress of Oyo State is a collective effort which has been a major concern to him.

Speaking while playing host to TAMPAN members and AOP’s at his Iyaganku, Ibadan residence, the Minister said the role TAMPAN and OAP’s played in shaping the polity and moulding opinions of the electorates can not be overemphasized.

Adelabu, who clarified that the gathering was not a political gathering, but a solemn assembly between him and those in attendance stated that he was not arrogant nor inaccessible as against believe of some people in the state.

He said: ‘I’m one of the most accessible politician in this state and I’m not arrogant as some people said used to say, some people said I’m arrogant and not accessible, that is not true.

‘I’m not stingy, people who move close to me can testify to this, I believe nobody is perfect except God, I called this meeting to have harmonious working relationship with you for us to get to the desired destination.’

The Minister urged APC members across the State to work in unity so as to wrestle power from PDP come 2027.

He said PDP wouldn’t have won the 2019 and 2023 governorship election in the state, if not for disunity in the party.

He said members of APC in the state must unite, speak with one voice and desist from what can divide the party but foster unity so as to come back to power in 2027 in the state.

He however urged Nigerians, particularly people in the State to continue supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and APC, adding that though things might seems to be tough now, but assured that their pains will soon turn to gain.

In their separate remarks, some of the TAMPAN members and OAPs pledged support for Adelabu, assuring him of their contributions towards the success of his gubernatorial ambition.

After nine years of planning and waiting, top actress and AMVCA nominee, Ariyiike Dorcas Owolagba aka Ariyiike Dimples, has finally fulfilled her dream of organising the Girls Talk With Ariyiike (GTWA) 2025 conference through the Ariyiike Owolagba Foundation.

The event which coincided with the International Day for the Girl Child had the First Lady of Ogun State, Bamidele Abiodun, in attendance to encourage Owolagba as well as encouraged the young women to be focused to achieve their dreams. She reiterated that the initiative is a movement to see women excel in their various fields of endeavours.

Abiodun said: ‘I grew up in a university environment. Both parents were Muslims but they allowed us to pick our religion. I have five children. The First Lady is not who I am. I am glad that I decided to go back to school to do my Masters. I will be 60 next year. I engaged myself from a young age. Never give up on yourself. Life itself is the greatest teacher. Learning never ends. Self-discovery is a life long journey. Take life one day at a time. Everybody has different journeys. Don’t let anything or anyone make you not achieve your purpose. Keep yourself plugged to God.’

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Management, Festus Keyamo, has hailed Comrade Isaac Balami for establishing a private university, describing it as a development that will attract more people to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Speaking at the unveiling of the Isaac Balami University of Aeronautics and Management (IBUAM), Keyamo said the ‘transfer season’ was still open for anyone willing to join the APC, urging Balami to take charge of political mobilization in Borno State.

Commending Balami’s energy and vision, the minister recalled how the young entrepreneur first presented his dream of an aviation university to him shortly after his appointment.

‘The moment I was sworn in as Minister of Aviation, one of the first people who came to my office was Isaac Balami. He shared his plans for the aviation sector. I remember it was around his 39th birthday. He told me he had just established an MRO in Lagos and that the Isaac Balami University was on the way,’ Keyamo said.

He expressed surprise and admiration for Balami’s initiative at such a young age, adding that he was inspired to support him until the university received approval.

‘This is another feather to my cap as Minister of Aviation. I can proudly say I’ve delivered my own polling unit in this sector. This aligns with the vision of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to support the private sector and promote human capital development – two key pillars in our five-point agenda,’ Keyamo added.

He described IBUAM as a ‘revolutionary achievement,’ noting that it is the first of its kind in Africa by combining a flying school, aviation professional training, and an aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) facility under one umbrella.

Also speaking, the member representing Askira Uba Federal Constituency, Hon. Midala Balami, praised the university’s founder, describing him as a symbol of resilience and determination. He said with the unveiling of IBUAM, political opposition in Borno had been weakened, and the stage set for President Tinubu’s victory in 2027.

‘Congratulations to Isaac Balami for completing 40 to 50 percent of the campaign for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu,’ he said.

Balami expressed appreciation to President Tinubu, Keyamo, Seyi Tinubu, Captain Chris Najomo, and others who contributed to the success of the project. He said his decision to remain in Nigeria and invest locally, despite the ongoing brain drain, was driven by his passion to contribute to nation-building.

Balami recounted his humble beginnings, noting how his parents sold their properties to support his education.

‘The university is not just another tertiary institution; it is tied to an aircraft maintenance and overhaul facility in Lagos. Our goal is to produce 21-year-old graduates who can work anywhere in the world without supervision,’ he said.

He called on state governments, ministries, agencies, and political leaders to sponsor students on scholarships, emphasizing that profits from the university would be reinvested into society through his foundation.

Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, announced scholarships for 100 female students willing to enroll in the university, noting that empowering young women in critical sectors aligns with President Tinubu’s vision for gender inclusion and national growth.

The event was attended by dignitaries including the Director General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Captain Chris Najomo, as well as senators, permanent secretaries, and captains of industry.

The convener urged all candidates who scored cut off points of 200 and above to quickly go to https://www.ibuam.edu.ng/ to register.

It assured candidates that most of its scholarships will come from development agencies, such as the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, and North East Development Commission, NEDC.

In spite of the red flag raised by the touted 1,000 National Assembly lawyers and other groups and individuals in respect of the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Administration) of the University of Jos, Prof. Joash Amupitan’s nomination as the new National Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the screening exercise at the Senate chambers on Thursday went without a hitch.

The nomination announcement had barely been made when a certain Dr. ‘Dayo Osifeso hit the social media with a post highlighting what he termed grey areas in Amupitan’s resume released by the Special Adviser to the President on Information, Mr. Bayo Onanuga. His grouse was that the resume released by the President’s spokesman did not reflect the primary and secondary schools the nominee attended or the timelines of his attendance. He also could not help wondering how it was possible for Amupitan to attend the Kwara State Polytechnic at age 15. Besides, Osifeso raised issues about his career progression as a lecturer at the University of Jos.

While the dust raised by Osifeso was yet to settle, a coalition of lawyers under the aegis of Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners (ALDRAP) were up in arms against their professional colleague, asking the Senate to reject his nomination as INEC chair. They swore that Amupitan was unfit for the position on account of his previous role as lead counsel to the All Progressives Congress (APC) during the 2023 Presidential Election Petition at the Supreme Court. It would later turn out that in their desperation to fault the appointment of the eminent scholar and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, they had confused Switzerland with Swaziland, advertised Amupitan as Osipitan and literally dressed the neutral academic in the garb of a passionate APC ally.

It has emerged from Thursday’s screening exercise that from his upbringing to academic and professional careers, Amupitan is a candidate made in heaven for the beleaguered seat of INEC Chairman. I speak not as a distant observer but from the position of an insider who has followed the trajectory of the nominee from childhood. We did not only grow up together in our native Ayetoro-Gbede community in Kogi State, we both attended LSMB Primary School No 2 where his father, Mr. Benson Amupitan, a passionate community leader, was my class teacher in Primary 6.

It bears relevance to state that the senior Amupitan treated me like his biological son, probably because my father was the Oba and he usually visited the palace, hence I had known him long before he became my teacher. Given the values he inculcated in us as his pupils, it is not a surprise that his biological son, a precocious pupil, who was two years my junior, would break the barriers of academics in the spectacular fashion that now leaves his critics confused. He told us to aim high always because, as he used to put it, ‘to aim low is a crime’.

He also told us never to be ashamed of our identity, citing the famous Ghanaian nationalist James Aggrey’s eternal words: ‘Whoever is not proud of his colour is not fit to live’. In the light of this, he told my sibling Richard and I to insist that people must pronounce our surname correctly because its meaning was being corrupted by the way it was pronounced by most people.

The senior Amupitan influenced the course of my academic journey as he did a few other classmates with his insistence as our class teacher that we must all take the admission forms of a new school jointly founded by the about 13 communities that make up Gbede land. At that time, it was fashionable that upon graduating from a primary school within the community, the next step was to proceed to a secondary school in Kabba, Okene, Lokoja, Ilorin or some other towns and cities in the old Kwara State. But on the eve of our graduation, he came into class with the entry forms of Baptist Secondary Commercial School (BSCS), Iyah-Gbede, and insisted that we must all take them.

Most of us had already passed the state-administered Common Entrance Examination and were waiting to be called for the oral interview. Hence we thought nothing of the move. Personally, I had made Crowther Memorial College, Lokoja my preferred secondary school and was confident of being admitted. But it turned out that Richard and I were among the four pupils admitted by BSCS with the consequence that our father declined when we request to go for the oral interview that would have facilitated my admission into Crowther Memorial College. He asked what else we wanted after securing admission into BSCS. Thus the admission forms we took just to please the teacher became a faith accompli.

In all those years, I had known Prof. Amupitan, whose mother was also a respected teacher in the community, as Omo Oga (the teacher’s son), which in itself was a huge privilege. A proof of his brilliance was the fact that he departed LSMB 2, Ayetoro-Gbede for St. Barnabas Secondary School, Kabba from Primary 5 in an age that other pupils spent the mandatory six years before they graduated. That was possible because he had educationally exposed parents to guide his path.

It is instructive that his father later veered into a career in the judiciary after undergoing a diploma programme in Law to become an Area Court judge. The move probably inspired Prof. Amupitan’s choice of a career in Law with specialisation in Evidence, making him to look like a perfect fit for the INEC job. But is he the answer to the army of cynics who would never see anything good in President Tinubu’s appointments? Only time will tell.

Opay has rolled out a robust suite of advanced security features aimed at giving customers greater control and protection over their funds, reaffirming its commitment to safety, innovation, and customer trust in Nigeria’s growing digital finance ecosystem.

Speaking at a briefing to announce the new security upgrades and eward winners of the Opay Security Challenge, Chief Commercial Officer of Opay, Elizabeth Wang, said the initiative was part of the company’s long-term strategy to make financial services ‘more accessible and safer’ for millions of Nigerians.

‘Our users are always first. We prioritise safety and continuous innovation,’ Wang said. ‘Opay has invested heavily in fund security and built a responsive customer care team that is available 24/7 to attend to customers.’

Among the standout innovations is Face ID verification, a pioneering security feature in Nigeria’s fintech sector that requires facial authentication for large transactions and late-night transfers.

Wang explained that the Face ID security system has been active for 10 weeks, providing ‘extra layers of protection for what matters most.’

The company also launched the USSD Lock, an emergency protection feature that allows customers to instantly block their accounts or cards if their devices are lost or compromised.

Nollywood actress and brand influencer Funke Akindele described the development as forward-thinking: ‘Opay is being innovative, thinking ahead to protect customers’ funds. They’re always looking for ways to secure users’ money. I encourage them to keep prioritising safety and customer experience.’

Content creator Samuel Perry (popularly known as Brother Shaggi) also praised the initiative:

‘With the rise of mobile transactions, real-time security tools like Face ID and USSD locks are crucial. They don’t just protect users; they strengthen the entire fintech ecosystem.’

Skit maker Layi Wasabi noted that the upgrades could set a new benchmark for digital payment security in Nigeria, ‘especially at a time when online fraud remains a serious concern.’

Comedian Brain Jotter commended Opay for not only protecting customer funds but also educating the public about safe transaction practices.

The event also marked the grand finale of the Opay Security Challenge, a 10-week campaign designed to raise awareness of the brand’s in-app safety tools.

Over the weeks, several participants had won N50,000, while the final four winners each walked away with N1 million.

Grand Prize Winners were: Instagram: Onyinye Mercy Ekeogu; X (formerly Twitter): Ezeonwuka Greatness; TikTok: Charles Chinaemere Ihugba; Facebook: Adegoke Oluwatoyin Adewunmi

Oluwaseun Imade, Enterprise Marketing Manager at Opay, explained that the challenge encouraged users to engage with and vote for their favorite security features.

‘Opay’s mission has always been to make financial services more inclusive through technology. The seven security features – Scam Alert, Night Guard, Large Transaction Shield, Online Subscription Control, USSD Lock, Large Transaction Double Check, and Emergency Lock – were created with users in mind,’ Imade said.

‘We’re not just rewarding participation; we’re shaping a safer digital environment for millions of Nigerians.’

Winners expressed their excitement and appreciation.

Onyinye Mercy Ekeogu said the campaign deepened her trust in Opay, while another participant, Etudo, whose video went viral on TikTok, said he initially did not believe he could win.

Wang concluded the event by reaffirming the company’s unwavering commitment to innovation: ‘We are not just building features; we are building trust. Our mission is to make every transaction safer, faster, and more reliable.’

Industry analysts note that Opay’s new security framework is a significant leap forward in customer protection and could influence how other fintech players approach digital safety in Nigeria’s dynamic financial landscape.