Provided by
Alausa-Global Foundation
Real funding for Nigerian MSMEs — ₦200,000 to ₦1,000,000
A grant programme for micro, small and medium enterprises trading in Nigeria. No application fee, no agent, no middleman. Winners are published on 2 January on our Instagram page.
Applications open 30 October 2026. Winners announced 2 January 2027.
Until applications open
The programme
Three funding bands, one simple application
Every approved business receives funding in one of three bands. The band you are placed in depends on the amount you ask for, the stage of the business and what the funds are for.
Start-up band
Working capital, first stock, tools or a licence for a business trading under three years.
Growth band
Equipment, a second location, packaging or a delivery capability for a business with proven sales.
Scale band
Expansion, certification, staffing or market entry for an established business with staff and turnover.
Key dates
- 30 October 2026 — applications open
- 31 December 2026 — applications close
- January 2027 — every submission audited and shortlisted
- 2 January 2027 — winners published on Instagram
What you will need
- Your 11-digit NIN and the name registered against it
- Business name, address, sector and registration status
- A 10-digit bank account in your own name for disbursement
- Your Instagram handle, following @ALAUSA_GLOBAL
Eligibility
Who can apply
All four must be true. If any one of them is not, the application will not be shortlisted.
You qualify if you
- Are a Nigerian citizen or legally resident, aged 18 or older
- Own or co-own a micro, small or medium business trading in Nigeria
- Have a verifiable NIN in your own name
- Have a 10-digit Nigerian bank account in the business owner's name
- Are following @ALAUSA_GLOBAL and have commented on the pinned grant post
You do not qualify if you
- Have already received this grant in a previous cycle
- Are applying on behalf of somebody else
- Cannot produce an NIN that matches the name you apply with
- Run a business outside Nigeria, or a purely personal project with no trading activity
- Submit information that does not survive audit
Registration status
Registered and unregistered businesses may both apply. CAC registration is recorded and considered — it is not a barrier to entry.
Sector
Agriculture, manufacturing, retail, food, fashion, construction, transport, ICT, health, education, hospitality, creative, energy, waste and more.
Time in operation
From six months of trading upwards. Businesses younger than six months are accepted only into the start-up band.
How it works
Four steps, about ten minutes
Register
Create an account with your email, phone number and password. Free.
Complete the form
Applicant details, business details, registration status, industrial sector and the amount you are asking for.
Verify your identity
Confirm your NIN against the national identity registry, so every shortlisted application belongs to a real person.
Submit and follow
Sign the declaration, file the application, then follow @ALAUSA_GLOBAL and comment on the pinned grant post.
Follow, then comment — that is the qualification gate
Filing the application is not the last step. To be qualified for award you must also be following @ALAUSA_GLOBAL on Instagram and have commented on the pinned post about this grant. Both are asked for on the form as a declaration, and both are checked before any award is made.
- Follow @ALAUSA_GLOBAL
- Find the pinned post about the MSME grant
- Comment on it with your application reference
- Keep your account public until 2 January so we can verify it
Fees
What this grant costs you
Application fee
Registering, filling the form, and being considered for the grant costs nothing. There is no processing charge, no form charge and no expression-of-interest fee.
NIN verification fee
The one and only payment. It covers a real identity check against the NIN registry through Prembly, and it is what keeps unserious applicants and scammers from filling the queue with fake entries.
The Alausa-Global Foundation does not work with agents, facilitators, consultants, "connection men" or middlemen of any kind. Nobody is authorised to collect money on our behalf. Do not pay anybody who offers to "help you apply", "push your file", "shortlist" you or "guarantee" you the grant — not for any amount, and not in cash, transfer or gift.
The only payment this programme ever collects is the ₦850 NIN verification fee, and it is paid on this website, inside the form, by card or transfer through Paystack. If you are asked for money anywhere else, it is a scam. Report it to us and walk away.
When you submit, you declare that every answer is truthful and that you understand all submissions are audited in detail before grant winners are shortlisted. We check your NIN against the registry, cross-check your business details and registration number, and verify the account the money would be paid into.
Anything found to be false disqualifies the application and forfeits any award. Do not inflate staff numbers, turnover, registration status or the purpose of the funds — accuracy is worth more to you than ambition on the form.
Questions
Frequently asked
Is there really no application fee?
Correct. Registering and submitting an application is free. The only payment on the site is the ₦850 NIN verification fee, charged inside the form by Paystack to cover a real identity check. That money is not a deposit, not refundable, and not part of the grant.
Why do I have to pay ₦850 at all?
Because a free application form attracts bulk fake submissions. The ₦850 buys one NIN verification against the national registry, so every application on the shortlist belongs to a real, identifiable person. It is deliberately small — low enough that no genuine MSME is shut out, high enough that nobody can flood the queue.
Can I apply more than once, or apply through an agent?
One application per NIN, per cycle — the form enforces this. And no: applying through an agent is not possible, because there is no agent. Anyone claiming to represent the Alausa-Global Foundation is not affiliated with us.
What happens after I submit?
You receive an application reference immediately. Every submission is then audited in detail — identity, business details, registration status and bank account — before shortlisting. Winners are published on 2 January 2027 on our Instagram page.
Do I need to be registered with CAC?
No. Both registered and unregistered businesses may apply, and registration status is recorded as part of your profile rather than used as an entry barrier. If your status implies a registration number, you will be asked for it.
How is the money paid?
Directly to the 10-digit Nigerian bank account you provide on the form, in the business owner's name. Nobody will ever ask you to pay money in order to receive the grant — if you are asked to pay to receive, it is a scam.
How do I know I am qualified after submitting?
Keep your application reference, follow @ALAUSA_GLOBAL, and comment on the pinned grant post with that reference. Both following and commenting are required to qualify. Winners are published there on 2 January 2027.
Applications open 30 October 2026
₦200,000 to ₦1,000,000 for Nigerian MSMEs. Free to apply. One honest form, one NIN check, one chance to be shortlisted.