The Federal Government has launched the Student Venture Capital Grant (SVCG), a new national programme offering equity-free grants of up to ₦50 million to support innovative, student-led projects across Nigeria’s tertiary institutions.
The initiative was announced on Monday in a statement by the Federal Ministry of Education, signed by the Director of Press and Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade.
Speaking at the launch, the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, said the programme aligns with the administration’s push to deepen innovation and nurture high-impact ideas among young Nigerians. According to him, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has tasked the ministry with identifying transformative concepts emerging from universities and colleges nationwide.
“The President has challenged us to look for the next moonshot within our tertiary institutions. We are not just looking for projects; we are scouting for future Nigerian unicorns whose roots will be planted right here on our campuses. This is an equity-free seed investment in Nigeria’s future,” Alausa said.
The ministry explained that the SVCG is targeted at students developing solutions in STEMM fields—Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medical Sciences. The goal is to accelerate student-driven innovation with strong potential for scalability, commercialisation, and real-world impact.
Beneficiaries will also receive incubation support, mentorship, and access to critical tools and resources.
As part of efforts to enhance the programme’s evaluation process, the ministry announced a partnership with Google. Under the collaboration, Google’s Gemini AI will handle automated assessments on the application platform, while all applicants will be granted a free one-year Gemini Pro licence alongside premium learning materials.
The application portal—svcg.education.gov.ng—is now open to students of accredited tertiary institutions. Interested applicants are encouraged to submit proposals with clear market relevance and strong potential to address national or global challenges.
