How Nigerian students can apply for NANS business grant

n n

The National Association of Nigerian Students has opened applications for the 2026 edition of its entrepreneurship programme, NANSInnovate, offering student entrepreneurs an opportunity to compete for funding to grow their businesses.

n

The NANS National President, Akinteye Babatunde, announced the opening of applications in a Monday statement inviting Nigerian students with business ideas or existing ventures to participate in the programme.

n

According to the association, the initiative is designed to identify and support students running businesses across universities, polytechnics and colleges of education in Nigeria.

n

Afeez said the programme would provide a platform for student entrepreneurs to present their ideas before investors, business leaders and industry experts.

n

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.”

n

He added, “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.”

n

The programme will culminate in a national pitch competition involving the top 20 finalists, who will compete for cash prizes worth millions of naira.

n

Afeez urged eligible students to take advantage of the opportunity, saying, “At the end of the competition, the top 20 student entrepreneurs will go home with cash prizes worth millions of naira to support and expand their businesses.”

n

Who can apply?

n

Applicants must be Nigerian citizens currently enrolled in a recognised university, polytechnic or college of education in any of the 36 states or the Federal Capital Territory.

n

Applicants must also have either an existing business or a business idea they intend to develop.

n

A valid student identity card is required, while applicants must submit a business proposal in Microsoft Word format.

n

What documents are required?

n

Applicants are required to provide:

n

* A valid student ID card in JPG, PNG or PDF format.
n* A business proposal in Microsoft Word (.docx) format.
n* A business proposal of not more than 10 pages.
n* The proposal must use Times New Roman, size 12 font, with single-line spacing.
n* The proposal must not exceed 5MB.n

n

Applicants who have CAC or SMEDAN certificates may also submit them, although the certificates are optional.

n

How to apply

n

Students interested in participating are required to visit the NANSInnovate application portal at grants.nanshq.org.

n

Applicants will be required to provide their personal and school information before entering details about their businesses.

n

They will then select a business category and indicate whether the venture is an existing business or a new idea.

n

The available categories are:

n

* Production/Manufacturing
n* Trading/Merchandise
n* Services
n* Agriculturen

n

Applicants must upload their student ID and business proposal before completing the application.

n

They will also be required to submit a 100-word pitch explaining what the business is about, why it matters and how the applicant intends to use the funding.

n

After submitting the application, applicants will receive a unique entry code, which can be used to check the status of their application.

n

NANS said applicants should save or screenshot the code for future reference.

n

Is the application free?

n

Yes. NANS said the application is completely free and warned students against making payments to anyone in connection with the programme.

n

The association stated that anyone requesting payment for entry should be treated as a scam and reported.

n

What does NANSInnovate offer?

n

According to NANS, the programme will run for a week and will include learning sessions, networking opportunities and mentorship.

n

Participants will have opportunities to interact with investors, industry leaders and other student entrepreneurs.

n

The programme will also feature one-on-one mentorship and a national pitch competition where the top 20 finalists will compete for business funding.

n

NANS said the initiative was created to bring together students already building businesses and provide them with opportunities to develop and expand their ventures.

n

Afeez said, “On behalf of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) National Headquarters, I invite every eligible student to register and be part of this historic initiative.”

n

“The next great Nigerian business could begin here, and the next successful entrepreneur could be you,” he added.

n

Students can submit their applications through grants.nanshq.org.n

n n