The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has opened applications for the 2026 edition of its entrepreneurship programme, NANSInnovate, providing student entrepreneurs with an opportunity to compete for funding to develop and expand their businesses.
NANS National President, Akinteye Babatunde, announced the opening of applications in a statement on Monday and invited Nigerian students with business ideas or existing ventures to participate.
According to NANS, the initiative is aimed at identifying and supporting student entrepreneurs across universities, polytechnics and colleges of education in Nigeria.
The programme will also allow participating students to pitch their business ideas to investors, business leaders and industry experts.
Babatunde encouraged eligible students to apply, noting that the top 20 student entrepreneurs will receive cash prizes worth millions of naira to support and expand their businesses.
To qualify for the NANSInnovate 2026 programme, applicants must be Nigerian citizens and currently enrolled in a recognised university, polytechnic or college of education.
Their institutions must be located in any of Nigeria’s 36 states or the Federal Capital Territory.
Applicants must also have either an existing business or a business idea they intend to develop. A valid student identity card is required, and applicants must be able to submit a business proposal in Microsoft Word format.
Students applying for the programme are required to prepare a valid student ID card and a business proposal outlining their business idea or existing venture.
The student ID card must be submitted in JPG, PNG or PDF format.
The business proposal must be submitted in Microsoft Word (.docx) format, must not exceed 10 pages, and must use Times New Roman font, size 12, with single-line spacing. The file must also not exceed 5MB in size.
Applicants who have CAC or SMEDAN certificates may include them as supporting documents, although the certificates are optional.
Interested students can apply for NANSInnovate 2026 online through the official application portal.
Applicants are required to begin the process by visiting grants.nanshq.org.
The programme is open to eligible Nigerian students with business ideas or existing ventures who meet the stated requirements and are seeking an opportunity to present their businesses while competing for financial support.
Source: MSME Africa Online
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