65 student innovators from 30,639 applicants across 404 tertiary institutions in Nigeria have been shortlisted for the final stage of the Student Venture Capital Grant, a flagship initiative of President Bola Tinubu, designed to accelerate high-impact student-led ventures and strengthen Nigeria’s innovation-driven economy.
Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa in a statement signed by the Ministry’s spokesperson, Boriowo Folasade, the milestone highlights the depth of innovation, creativity and entrepreneurial potential within Nigeria’s university ecosystem
The Education Minister said the Student Venture Capital Grant, launched in December 2025 in partnership with the Bank of Industry, provides up to ₦50 million in equity-free funding to support student-led ventures that have reached the commercialisation stage.
Alausa said the initiative is designed to enable student entrepreneurs to scale innovative solutions, stimulate job creation and contribute to innovation-driven economic growth.
He noted that the selection of the 65 finalists followed a transparent and rigorous multi-stage evaluation process, which included, applications first underwent AI-enabled screening to assess eligibility, completeness and alignment with programme objectives, followed by independent human validation to ensure accuracy and fairness.
He said the shortlisted ventures were subsequently reviewed by an evaluation committee, comprising representatives from government, industry, academia and the investment ecosystem, using structured criteria focused on scalability, feasibility, founder capability and impact potential.
(Editor: Ken Eseni)
