- Home Edu Gists FG S-VCG Finalists, Bootcamp and
Awards Day 2026 Digestible Summary(tl; dr)The Federal government has shortlisted 65 finalists for the Trainee Equity Capital Grant. Awards Day holds on 29 March 2026 in Lagos. 65 finalists originated from 30,639 applicants
- Applications originated from 404 tertiary schools
- Bootcamp ranges from 26 to 29 March 2026
- Awards Day holds from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM
- Location is UNDP Development Center, Lagos
- speeding up high-impact student-led ventures
- backing scalable options throughout crucial sectors
- providing equity-free financing to ventures at the commercialisation stage
- helping job development through trainee entrepreneurship
- developing an economy driven by new ideas
- AI-enabled screening for eligibility and positioning
- independent human recognition for accuracy and fairness
- assessment by groups from government, industry, academic community, and the investment environment
- evaluation based on scalability, feasibility, founder ability, and impact prospective
- pitch sessions
- venture development workshops
- live endeavor assessments
- investor-style feedback
- application scores
- bootcamp performance
- assessment committee considerations
The Federal government has moved the Trainee Equity capital Grant, S-VCG, to its final stage after shortlisting 65 student founders from 30,639 applicants throughout 404 tertiary schools. The programme stands as a flagship job of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR. It brings student-led service concepts better to funding; it likewise points to the scale of fresh thinking originating from campuses throughout Nigeria.
Launched in December 2025 in collaboration with the Bank of Industry, BOI, the plan provides to N50 million in equity-free funding for endeavors at the commercialisation phase.
Table of contents
What the S-VCG program is set to do
Through the Student Equity Capital Grant, the Federal Government says it is focused on:
What the shortlist shows
The shortlist covers 65 trainee creators drawn from a big field of 30,639 applicants across 404 tertiary schools.
That outcome places a clear spotlight on the depth of trainee enterprise in Nigeria’s university area, with scalable concepts originating from major sectors.
Minister’s statement
The Honourable Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Olatunji Alausa, CON, explained the scheme as a strategic investment in Nigeria’s next generation of founders and task developers.
He stated, “The quality and ambition shown by these 65 student innovators is deeply encouraging; we are constructing a strong pipeline of innovators who will drive Nigeria’s future development.”
How the selection was done
The draft specifies that selection followed a multi-stage procedure. The actions consisted of:
The decision will rest on application ratings, bootcamp efficiency, and committee deliberations.
Program stages and timeline
Stage 1: Finalist selection
This phase has actually been completed.
An overall of 65 student creators were shortlisted from 30,639 candidates across 404 tertiary schools.
Phase 2: Endeavor Advancement Bootcamp
Date: Thursday, 26 March to Sunday, 29 March 2026
The bootcamp will focus on:
Stage 3: Final grant choice
The last grant choice will be based upon:
Phase 4: Beneficiary Awards Day
Occasion: Trainee Venture Capital Grant, S-VCG, Awards
Date: Sunday, 29 March 2026
Time: 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Area: UNDP Development Hub, 17 Alfred Rewane Road, Lagos, Nigeria
Live protection: Channels television and Develop Television
Awards Day information at a glimpse
The final public occasion in this cycle is the Student Venture Capital Grant Awards Day. It will hang on Sunday, 29 March 2026, from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM at the UNDP Innovation Center, 17 Alfred Rewane Roadway, Lagos, Nigeria.
Channels TV and Arise TV will cover the event live.
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