OPay Digital Services Ltd. has pledged N10 million to support the establishment of an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Financial Laboratory at Kano State Polytechnic (KSP).
The company also offered scholarships to 21 students of the institution as part of its support for education and technological advancement.
In a statement signed by Auwal Ismail Bagwai, Head of Public Affairs of the polytechnic, the former Minister of Budget and Economic Planning and Chairman of the Board of Directors of OPay, Dr Shamsuddeen Usman, announced the pledges at the opening of a national conference organised by the Department of Banking and Finance, KSP.
The conference was themed: “Leveraging AI in the Financial Sector for Promoting Economic Development in Nigeria.”
Usman said OPay had extensively deployed AI in its operations, with the platform recording daily transactions of about N2.5 trillion.
He urged governments to expand digital infrastructure, invest in talent development, strengthen regulatory frameworks and promote financial inclusion to maximise the benefits of AI.
He also appealed to the Kano State Government to provide substantial funding in its budget for the establishment of a befitting AI Centre at the polytechnic.
“OPay, through the Shamsuddeen Usman Foundation, which focuses on Information Technology, will partner with Kano State Polytechnic to explore areas of collaboration and support in AI,” he said.
The Kano State Commissioner for Finance, Dr Ismail Aliyu Danmaraya, who attended the conference, pledged to present the request for the establishment of the AI Centre to the state government for possible intervention.
The Rector of KSP, Dr Abubakar Umar Farouk, represented by the Deputy Rector (Academic), Dr Ibrahim Usman Aikawa, commended the department for organising the conference, saying AI was rapidly transforming the global financial sector.
The Registrar of the polytechnic, Mukhtar Ibrahim Bello, in his vote of thanks, appreciated OPay for the N10 million pledge and scholarship offer to 21 students.
He described the gesture as a significant contribution towards advancing education, innovation and technological development at the institution.
