Key Points

• The student innovation grant supports nationwide undergraduate innovators.

• The programme provides access to N50m in grants.

• Applicants for the student innovation grant apply through a new portal.

The Nigerian government has started taking applications for the Student Venture Capital Grant, a new program that gives student-led businesses equity-free grants of up to ₦50 million.

The Ministry of Education announced the program on Monday in a statement signed by Boriowo Folasade, Director of Press and Public Relations. It is part of a larger national effort to grow the country’s research and startup pipeline from within higher education.

The funding program is at the centre of the government’s innovation agenda, which is meant to find and support new ideas that come from Nigerian campuses, according to Education Minister Tunji Alausa.

Alausa said at the launch, “The President has challenged us to look for the next Moonshot within our tertiary institutions.” “We’re not just looking for projects; we’re also looking for future Nigerian Unicorns whose roots will be planted in our colleges and universities.”

Students at accredited colleges and universities can now apply for grants through the official portal at svcg.education.gov.ng as part of the new program. Officials say the program is a way to “ignite and support student-driven innovation by funding ventures that address real-world challenges with clear potential for scale and commercialisation.”

In addition to financial help, beneficiaries will also be put in a structured development pipeline that includes incubation, mentorship, and access to technical resources.

The partnership with Google makes the evaluation framework stronger

The ministry said it would work with Google to make the program more honest and competitive around the world.

Google’s Gemini AI will power automated assessments across the application portal, and the tech giant’s evaluation tools are expected to help with screening, documentation, and selection. The ministry said that each applicant will get a free one-year Gemini Pro license and premium learning materials that will help them improve their technical skills.

Officials say the partnership is meant to give Nigerian students “the best tools available around the world” to start their entrepreneurial journey. The government is also committed to “building a powerful innovation funnel from idea to market domination.”

Innovators who work in STEMM are encouraged to apply

The grant is mostly for students who are coming up with new ideas in STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medical Sciences), but it will also look at proposals from other fields that are clearly relevant to the market.

The ministry says that applicants should send in ideas that show they can be scaled up, have commercial potential, and solve problems on a national or global scale.

The ministry called the program “an equity-free seed investment in Nigeria’s future” and said that the government wants to speed up the growth of student-led businesses that can grow into successful companies.