The Federal Government has officially launched the application portal for the Student Venture Capital Grant, a new national programme designed to support student innovators with equity-free funding of up to ₦50 million.
The announcement was contained in a statement released on Monday by the Federal Ministry of Education and signed by its Director of Press and Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade.
Speaking at the launch, the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, described the initiative as a key part of the government’s plan to drive innovation across Nigeria’s tertiary institutions.
According to him, President Bola Tinubu has challenged the ministry to identify groundbreaking ideas emerging from universities and colleges.
“We are not just looking for projects; we are scouting for the next Nigerian unicorns that will be born right here on our campuses,” Alausa said.
He added that the grant represents “an equity-free investment in Nigeria’s future.”
The programme is targeted at students working on innovations in STEMM fields—Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medical Sciences.
The ministry explained that the initiative aims to “ignite and support student-driven innovation by funding ventures that solve real-world problems and show strong potential for scale and commercialisation.”
Successful applicants will receive more than just funding, they will be enrolled in a full support pipeline that includes: Business incubation, Mentorship opportunities, Wccess to tools and technical resources and Partnership with Google
To strengthen the programme, the ministry also announced a collaboration with Google.
Under the partnership:
Google’s Gemini AI will power automated application evaluations on the portal.
All applicants will receive a free one-year Gemini Pro licence.
Students will also get access to premium global learning resources, giving them world-class tools as they begin their entrepreneurial journey.
“We are building a strong innovation pipeline—taking ideas from campus level to market dominance,” the ministry noted.
How to apply
Applications are now open at: svcg.education.gov.ng
Only students enrolled in accredited tertiary institutions can apply. The ministry advised applicants to submit proposals that clearly show:
Scalability and Strong market relevance
Potential to solve major national or global challenges
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