NANS opens 2026 NANSInnovate portal for student entrepreneurs, millions in cash prizes at stake
By Aboki Forex —
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has opened applications for the 2026 NANSInnovate programme, inviting student entrepreneurs with existing businesses or new ideas to compete for cash prizes worth millions of naira. NANS National President Akinteye Babatunde announced the opening of applications in a Monday, August 10 statement.
The programme is open to Nigerian students enrolled in universities, polytechnics and colleges of education across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. Applicants must be Nigerian citizens and must indicate whether they are applying with an existing business or a new business idea.
How to apply
Interested students should visit the NANSInnovate application portal at grants.nanshq.org to begin registration. Applicants will be required to provide their personal information, details about their institution, and information about the business or proposed venture.
Applicants must upload a valid student identity card in JPG, PNG or PDF format. They must also submit a business proposal in Microsoft Word format. The proposal must not exceed 10 pages, use Times New Roman size 12 font, have single-line spacing, and be no larger than 5MB.
Applicants must also submit a 100-word pitch explaining what their business is about, why it is important and how they intend to use the funding. Those with CAC or SMEDAN certificates may submit them as optional documents.
Eligibility and business categories
Students from any of Nigeria's 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory can apply. Applicants must select the category that best describes their business or idea. The available categories are: Production/Manufacturing, Trading/Merchandise, Services, and Agriculture.
After completing the application, students can submit their forms for consideration. A successful submission generates a unique entry code that applicants can use to check the status of their applications. NANS advised applicants to save or screenshot the code for future reference.
Programme details and scam warning
NANS said the application is completely free and warned students against making payments to anyone in connection with the programme. The association said anyone requesting payment for entry should be treated as a scam and reported.
The programme will run for a week and include learning sessions, networking opportunities and mentorship. Participants will have opportunities to interact with investors, business leaders, industry experts and other student entrepreneurs. The programme will also feature one-on-one mentorship and a national pitch competition, where the top 20 finalists will compete for cash prizes worth millions of naira.
For Nigerian businesses and the broader economy, the NANSInnovate programme could channel much-needed funding to young entrepreneurs, helping early-stage ventures grow and potentially create jobs. That makes it a development to watch for anyone tracking youth enterprise and small business growth in Nigeria.