The initiative is aimed at helping Nigerian students with business ideas or existing businesses access funding and other support to grow their ventures.
NANS National President, Akinteye Babatunde, announced the opening of the application process, encouraging students across the country to take part in the programme.
According to him, the programme is designed to discover and support student entrepreneurs in universities, polytechnics and colleges of education across Nigeria.
The initiative will also give participants the chance to present their businesses to investors, industry professionals and experienced business leaders.
He said, “Across our campuses are brilliant young Nigerians with ideas that can solve problems, create jobs and build successful businesses. Unfortunately, many of these ideas never go beyond the classroom because of limited opportunities and access to funding.”
“NANSInnovate 2026 is our response to that challenge. We are providing a national platform where innovation will be rewarded, creativity will be encouraged and promising student entrepreneurs will receive the support they need to grow.”
The programme will end with a national pitch competition featuring the 20 best applicants.
The finalists will compete for cash prizes worth millions of naira to help them expand their businesses.
The programme is open to Nigerian students who are currently enrolled in a recognised university, polytechnic or college of education in any of Nigeria’s 36 states or the Federal Capital Territory.
Applicants can apply with either an existing business or a business idea they plan to develop.
They must provide a valid student identity card and submit a business proposal in Microsoft Word format.
Applicants are expected to provide the following:
CAC or SMEDAN certificates can also be submitted by applicants who have them, but these documents are not compulsory.
Interested students should visit the NANSInnovate application portal at grants.nanshq.org.
They will first provide their personal and academic information before entering details about their business or business idea.
Applicants must then choose one of the available business categories and state whether they are applying with an existing business or a new idea.
The categories include:
Applicants must upload their student ID and business proposal to complete the application.
They must also submit a 100-word pitch explaining their business, the problem it addresses and how they plan to use the funding.
Once the application is submitted, the applicant will receive a unique entry code. This code can be used to track the application, and NANS advised applicants to save or screenshot it for future use.
Yes. NANS said students do not need to pay any fee to apply for NANSInnovate 2026.
The association warned applicants not to send money to anyone claiming to offer entry into the programme. It said any person demanding payment should be regarded as a scammer and reported.
NANS said the programme will run for one week and include training sessions, networking activities and mentorship opportunities.
Participants will have the opportunity to connect with investors, business leaders and fellow student entrepreneurs.
The programme will also provide one-on-one mentorship before the final national pitch competition, where the top 20 finalists will compete for business funding.
NANS said the initiative is intended to support students who are already running businesses or developing business ideas and help them take their ventures to the next level.
The association urged eligible students to apply and take advantage of the opportunity to showcase their businesses and access support.
Applications for NANSInnovate 2026 can be submitted through the NANS grants portal.
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