The Nigerian Capital Development Fund (NCDF), in collaboration with the National Board for Technology Incubation and the London School of Social Enterprise and Sustainable Economics, has called for applications for its 2025 Fortune Entrepreneur Accelerator, Summit, and Venture Capital Programme.
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According to a statement signed by Chief Tajudeen Kareem, Executive Director of Public Sector at NCDF, the initiative aims to identify and fund 1,000 promising startups across key sectors such as agriculture, energy, fintech, healthcare, manufacturing, creative industries, and climate innovation.
The programme will climax with a national summit scheduled for September 2025 in Benin City, Edo State, where participating startups will pitch live to investors and showcase their innovations during exhibitions and masterclasses.
At the centre of the initiative is the NCDF Opportunity Growth Fund, a venture capital platform offering up to N500 million in equity investment to selected startups. The fund targets long-term value creation of over $10 billion while supporting Nigeria’s economic development through job creation and youth empowerment.
Hareter Babatunde Oralusi, NCDF’s Executive Chairman, said the programme seeks to build “unicorn enterprises that will drive Nigeria’s innovation economy.”
“With the right support and capital, Nigerian entrepreneurs can build companies that rival the best in the world,” he added.
The eight-week accelerator programme offers intensive business development support, compliance training, and investment readiness coaching to help startups scale effectively and secure investor funding.
Eligible applicants must be Nigerian entrepreneurs between the ages of 18 and 45, with startups at either the idea, MVP, or growth stage. The programme prioritizes women-led, youth-driven, and tech-enabled businesses with high social and economic impact.
Participation requires a N50,000 fee, and successful applicants will gain long-term scale-up support and access to venture capital investment through the NCDF Opportunity Growth Fund.
