Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc’s fintech subsidiary, HabariPay, has launched an innovative internship programme aimed at accelerating the careers of university students in Nigeria’s fintech industry. The initiative, known as the “Squad Hackademy Programme”, kicked off on September 13, 2024, and marks the second phase of HabariPay’s ongoing efforts to nurture young innovators.

The “Squad Hackademy Programme” stems from the success of the company’s first-ever hackathon, “Take on Squad Hackathon 1.0, held in January 2024 at the GTCO Training Complex in Abeokuta, Ogun State. Six top-performing students from the hackathon have been selected to participate in the new programme, which offers them hands-on training and experience within one of Nigeria’s leading fintech companies. The initiative will cover the students’ university tuition fees until they graduate, providing both educational and professional support.

The selected participants will work on real-world fintech scenarios during their Student Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) and university breaks, giving them critical exposure to the industry’s operations. This experience is designed to build practical skills, foster creativity, and enhance their problem-solving abilities.

Eduofon Japhet, Managing Director of HabariPay, expressed excitement about the programme, stating, “We are delighted to be delivering on the next phase of our Hackathon programme. The “Squad Hackademy: is the first of many initiatives to offer young, enterprising students a platform to engage meaningfully with technology and showcase their creativity and problem-solving abilities, while helping them with their tuition fees along the way.”

As a fintech subsidiary of Guaranty Trust Holding Company, HabariPay is committed to providing cutting-edge payment solutions that support businesses across Africa. Its flagship product, “Squad”, offers a comprehensive suite of tools designed to simplify in-person and online payments. Thousands of merchants already use Squad’s” payment solutions to enhance their daily operations.

With the “Squad Hackademy Programme”, HabariPay is not only advancing technological innovation but also supporting the next generation of tech talent in Nigeria, helping to shape the future of the fintech industry on the continent.