For applicants

Who can apply?

Any resident of Nasarawa State, from any of the thirteen Local Government Areas, who meets the priority criteria of one of the three streams. Agriculture gives priority to practising smallholder farmers, members of registered cooperatives and young people with demonstrable access to farmland. Digital gives priority to young people with basic literacy and a demonstrated intent to work in or through digital channels; prior computer experience is not required. Business Development gives priority to existing micro-enterprise operators, market traders and artisans with a trading activity, and to cooperative members with a demonstrated business idea.

Does it cost anything?

No. There is no fee at any stage. Training, materials and certification are provided at no cost to the participant. Nobody is authorised to ask you for money in connection with this programme — for a place, for a form, or for a faster decision. If you are asked, report it to the programme office.

When does sign-up open?

Sign-up onto the online class on this platform opens on 4 September 2026, ten days before the physical training begins. Your NIN is checked and you are shortlisted and placed in a cohort before the guided week starts.

When does the training run, and where?

The programme runs over ten days. The guided week online runs 7–13 September 2026 on this platform, from wherever you live, on your phone. Participants selected for the physical classes train 14–15 September 2026 at a single centre in Lafia, and the closing day — pitching, awards, certificates and graduation — is 16 September 2026.

The venue is Nasarawa State. The address is published on this site, and sent to every enrolled participant, as soon as the Supervising Office confirms it.

How do I sign up?

Complete the sign-up form on this site yourself, choosing one stream and giving your own details. If you give an email address and set a password you are signed in at once and can start the guided week from your account; otherwise you keep your application reference and use it to check progress and to claim your account later.

Can I apply for two streams?

No. A participant may hold a place in one stream only, so that the 1,500 participants are 1,500 distinct individuals. National Identification Number verification is used to enforce this. Choose the stream that matches the work you actually intend to do.

Why do you ask for my NIN, and is it safe?

The National Identification Number is used to confirm that you are who you say you are and that you hold a place in one stream only. It is encrypted when stored, never shown in full on any screen, never written into any web address, and never included in any export. Only the last few digits are ever displayed. Verification is carried out by the programme office after you submit; it does not block your application from being submitted, and you are not required to wait for it.

I have a disability. What should I put on the form?

The form asks about disability status and about what accommodation you need. Answering it is how the commitment that not less than 50 per cent of participants are women, youth and persons living with disabilities is actually delivered rather than counted afterwards. Venue selection, seating and practical arrangements accommodate participants with mobility impairments. That information is treated as sensitive: access to it is restricted and it is excluded from routine reporting.

Do I need a computer for the digital stream?

No. The Digital Skills guided week is built entirely for an ordinary smartphone on mobile data — social media, opportunities online and AI tools, all worked from your phone. No computer of your own is needed at any stage.

How are people chosen for the physical classes?

Places in the physical classes in Lafia on 14 to 16 September 2026 are given by performance in the online week. The office reviews performance in the guided week and notifies those selected.

What happens at the end of the programme?

Every participant who completes the programme presents their business at the closing pitch and may be supported. At the end of the programme, the top participants are supported with a ₦3,000,000 grant and a job opportunity.

What do I receive when I finish?

A certificate issued against demonstrated competence rather than attendance, carrying a serial number and a verification code. Anyone — an employer, a lender, an agency — can check that code against the issuing record on the certificate verification page.

How do I check what has happened to my application?

Use the status page with your application reference and the phone number you applied with. You are told which stage your application has reached — submitted, in NIN verification, screened, shortlisted or assigned to a cohort.

Is there a quota for my Local Government Area?

The 1,500 places are allocated across all thirteen Local Government Areas and the three streams so that no Local Government Area is excluded. The allocation is published before sign-up closes. Demand will exceed supply, particularly in agriculture, and the allocation is the answer to that rather than a larger promise.