The Federal Government has activated the application portal for the Student Venture Capital Grant, a flagship national scheme offering equity-free funding of up to N50 million to support student-driven innovation.
Director of Press and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Education, Boriowo Folasade, announced the portal’s opening in a statement on Monday.
According to the statement, Minister of Education Tunji Alausa said the initiative forms a core plank of the administration’s innovation agenda.
“The President has challenged us to search for the next moonshot within our tertiary institutions,” Alausa was quoted as saying.
“We are not merely hunting for projects; we are scouting for future Nigerian unicorns whose roots will be planted in our universities and colleges. This is an equity-free seed investment in Nigeria’s future.”
The scheme targets students developing solutions in STEMM disciplines – Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medical Sciences.
The statement explained that the programme is designed to “ignite and support student-driven innovation by funding ventures that address real-world challenges with clear potential for scale and commercialisation.”
It added that successful applicants will be supported with incubation, mentorship and access to tools.
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The government also announced a partnership with Google to strengthen the programme’s evaluation system. It stated that one of the objectives is to ensure that “our students begin their entrepreneurial journey with the very best tools available globally. We are building a powerful innovation funnel from idea to market domination.”
The statement added that Google’s Gemini AI would drive automated assessment on the portal, with each applicant receiving a free one-year Gemini Pro licence alongside premium learning materials.
The application portal — svcg.education.gov.ng — is now active, and students in accredited tertiary institutions have been urged to apply.
The ministry advised prospective applicants to submit proposals that demonstrate “scalability, market relevance, and the capacity to address critical national or global challenges.”
