The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has opened applications for its 2026 NANSInnovate programme, inviting student entrepreneurs to compete for cash prizes worth millions of naira. The application portal is now live at grants.nanshq.org, and the initiative is open to Nigerian students enrolled in universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
NANS National President Akinteye Babatunde announced the opening of applications in a statement on Monday, August 10, urging students with existing businesses or business ideas to participate. The programme aims to identify and support student entrepreneurs, culminating in a national pitch competition featuring the top 20 finalists who will vie for business funding.
Application Process and Requirements
Interested students must follow a structured application process. First, they need to visit the official portal at grants.nanshq.org. They must then provide personal information and details about their institution, which must be a recognised university, polytechnic, or college of education in Nigeria. Applicants must be Nigerian citizens from any of the 36 states or the FCT.
Next, applicants must indicate whether they are applying with an existing business or a new idea, and select a business category from the following: Production/Manufacturing, Trading/Merchandise, Services, or Agriculture. They must upload a valid student ID in JPG, PNG, or PDF format, and submit a business proposal in Microsoft Word (.docx) format.
Business Proposal Specifications
The business proposal must not exceed 10 pages, use Times New Roman size 12 font, have single-line spacing, and be no larger than 5MB. Applicants who have CAC or SMEDAN certificates may submit them as optional documents. Additionally, a 100-word pitch explaining the business, its importance, and how the funding would be used is required.
After completing the application, students can submit the form, which will generate a unique entry code for checking application status. NANS advises applicants to save or screenshot this code for future reference.
Free Application and Programme Details
NANS has emphasised that the application is completely free, warning students against making payments to anyone in connection with the programme. The association stated that 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 feature one-on-one mentorship and a national pitch competition where the top 20 finalists will compete for cash prizes worth millions of naira.
According to NANS, the initiative is designed to help students develop and expand their businesses while providing access to funding and business support. Students can submit their applications through grants.nanshq.org.
This announcement follows the federal government's recent opening of applications for the Credit for Laptops, Internet, Connectivity, and Knowledge Digital Devices (C.L.I.C.K.D.) Programme, implemented by the Nigerian Consumer Credit Corporation (CREDICORP), which offers financing for digital devices to qualified Nigerians.
