By Anamati Inyang, November 17, 2025
The Federal Government has opened the application portal for the Students’ Venture Capital Grant (S-VCG), a new scheme designed to support student innovators with funding and structured mentorship to turn their ideas into viable enterprises.
This was disclosed in a statement on Monday by the Ministry of Education’s spokesperson, Folasade Boriowo, quoting the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa.
According to the minister, the initiative is a core component of the Renewed Hope Agenda and aims to empower a new generation of young Nigerian innovators capable of shaping the country’s economic future.
“The president challenged us to search for the next moonshot within our tertiary institutions,” Alausa said. “We are not only seeking projects; we are scouting for future Nigerian unicorns whose foundations will be built in our universities and colleges. This is an equity-free seed investment in Nigeria’s future.”
The grant offers up to N50 million to student founders developing innovations in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medical Sciences (STEMM). Successful applicants will also have access to comprehensive incubation programmes, mentorship from industry leaders, and essential platforms and tools to help scale their ideas.
Alausa added that the ministry is partnering with Google to incorporate advanced technology into the application and evaluation process. Through the partnership, Google’s Gemini AI will power the portal’s custom “evaluation agents” to ensure an intelligent and transparent review of all submissions.
Every student who completes an application will also receive a one-year free Google Gemini Pro license alongside premium learning resources to strengthen their technical and entrepreneurial skills.
The minister encouraged eligible students in accredited tertiary institutions to apply via the official portal: svcg.education.gov.ng, noting that proposals must demonstrate scalability, market relevance, and the capacity to address national or global challenges.
