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Applications are now open for the Social Shifters Global Innovation Challenge 2026, an international funding opportunity for young founders developing innovative solutions to social and environmental challenges.
The challenge is designed to support youth-led projects and startups that are already creating measurable social or environmental impact in their communities.
Funding
Selected winners will receive multiple grant awards of up to $15,000.
In addition to funding, selected founders can access learning rers, networking opportunities, fellowships, learning experiences and potential paid work opportunities
Who Can Apply?
- Young founders aged 18–30 at the time of application
- Founders with clear decision-making authority within their project or startup
- Youth-led projects or startups addressing a clearly defined social or environmental challenge
- Initiatives that can demonstrate measurable social outputs or impact
- Projects contributing to at least one United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)
Geographic Focus
Young impact founders from around the world are eligible to apply.
What Are They Looking For?
Applicants should demonstrate that their initiative is already operating and creating measurable impact, rather than being only an early-stage idea.
The solution should address a real social or environmental challenge and show how it contributes to positive change and one or more Sustainable Development Goals.
Additional Opportunities
Beyond grant funding, selected founders may gain access to:
- Free learning resources
- Founder support
- Global networking opportunities
- A community of young social leaders
- Fellowships
- Learning experiences
- Potential paid work opportunities
Application Deadline
Key Dates
Applications close: 31 August 2026
Finalists announced: October 2026
Grant winners announced: December 2026
How to Apply
Interested young founders should complete the online application before the deadline.
Apply for the Social Shifters Global Innovation Challenge 2026
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Business
NSIPA Begins Payment Reconciliation, Account Validation for VSTP Beneficiaries
The National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA) has commenced payment reconciliation and account validation for beneficiaries of the Vocational and Skills Training Programme (VSTP).
According to NSIPA, the payment reconciliation exercise commenced on August 19, 2026, as the agency works to resolve account-related issues affecting some participants.
The Programme Management is contacting beneficiaries whose bank account details were found to be invalid and is providing them with an opportunity to update and validate their account information.
NSIPA said many affected participants have already completed the validation process, while some beneficiaries are yet to update their details.
Participants who have not validated their account information have been given one week from August 19 to complete the process.
The agency urged affected beneficiaries to take advantage of the validation window to ensure their account details are accurate and valid for payment processing.
However, participants who have already validated their account details or received their transportation allowance have been advised to disregard the notice.
The Renewed Hope Vocational and Skills Training Programme is a Federal Government initiative under the Renewed Hope Agenda, designed to strengthen practical skills development, support job creation and reduce poverty by providing beneficiaries with vocational and technical training opportunities.
The latest payment reconciliation exercise is expected to help resolve outstanding account issues and facilitate the payment process for eligible beneficiaries.
Business
LCCI to Explore Vehicle Financing as Alternative to Fuel Subsidy
The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) Auto Sectoral and Allied Group is set to convene key stakeholders in Nigeria’s automotive, financial and transport sectors to examine how vehicle financing can improve access to affordable and sustainable mobility.
The one-day symposium, scheduled for September 17, 2026, will hold at the Henry Fajemirokun Hall of the LCCI in Victoria Island, Lagos, under the theme, “From Subsidy to Credit: Can Vehicle Financing Replace Fuel Subsidy as Nigeria’s Mobility Equalizer?”
The event will focus on the rising cost of vehicle ownership and transportation, access to affordable credit, fleet renewal, automotive lending, leasing and the role of financial institutions in expanding mobility opportunities for Nigerians.
According to the organisers, the removal of fuel subsidy and its impact on transportation costs have created a need to rethink how mobility support is provided in Nigeria.
Rather than relying mainly on measures that reduce fuel costs, the symposium will examine whether a stronger vehicle-financing ecosystem can help individuals, transport operators and small businesses acquire vehicles through affordable and sustainable credit arrangements.
Discussions will also address major barriers to automotive financing, including high interest rates, short loan tenures, foreign exchange pressures, high vehicle prices and credit risks, as well as the limited availability of financing products designed specifically for Nigeria’s automotive market.
Speaking ahead of the event, Chairman of the LCCI Auto Sectoral and Allied Group and Deputy Managing Director of R.T. Briscoe Nigeria Plc, Dr Femi Eghuaikhide, said the symposium was coming at a critical time for Nigeria’s mobility sector.
He said the focus should move beyond making fuel cheaper to creating systems that make mobility more affordable and sustainable.
“Vehicle financing has the potential to become a powerful mobility equalizer if we can develop the right credit structures, realistic repayment terms and strong collaboration between government, financial institutions and automotive industry stakeholders,” Eghuaikhide said.
He added that the symposium would provide stakeholders with an opportunity to move beyond identifying industry challenges and develop practical financing solutions that could support vehicle ownership, public transportation and the growth of Nigeria’s automotive sector.
Chairman of the Symposium Organising Committee and Chief Operating Officer of Bras Motors Limited, Austin Akpovili, said the event would bring relevant stakeholders together to explore the wider economic implications of mobility.
“We are bringing the right stakeholders to one table because mobility is not only an automotive issue; it is an economic issue,” Akpovili said.
He explained that the symposium would examine how affordable vehicle credit could improve access to transportation for individuals and businesses while strengthening Nigeria’s automotive ecosystem.
The event is expected to attract automobile manufacturers and dealers, commercial banks, development finance institutions, leasing companies, insurance firms, transport operators, government agencies, policymakers and other players across the automotive value chain.
Stakeholders will also consider how vehicle financing can support the replacement of Nigeria’s ageing vehicle fleet, improve road transportation and stimulate demand for locally assembled vehicles and locally manufactured automotive components.
The LCCI Auto Sectoral and Allied Group has traditionally used its annual symposium to bring together government officials, business leaders, financial institutions and automotive stakeholders to discuss major issues affecting the industry.
This year’s theme is expected to shift the conversation from short-term fuel subsidy to long-term access to credit and asset ownership.
The organisers hope the discussions will produce practical recommendations for policymakers and industry players on how vehicle financing can become a key component of Nigeria’s broader mobility and economic development strategy.
Business
Ekiti Govt woos Egyptian Investors, Targets $500m Industrial Investment
The Ekiti State Government has attracted potential industrial and trade investments worth up to $500 million following a five-day investment mission to Egypt that brought together more than 40 Egyptian industrialists and investors.
The Ekiti-Egypt Industrial Investment Mission, held in Cairo from July 24 to 28, 2026, focused on investment opportunities across agriculture, agro-processing, commercial farming, seed production, textiles, manufacturing and solid minerals.
The mission produced eight Expressions of Interest (EOIs) and opened further commercial discussions between the state government and Egyptian manufacturers, processors, agribusinesses, mining operators and other potential investors.
According to the state government, the proposed investments could generate thousands of direct and indirect jobs while strengthening Ekiti’s productive sectors and expanding economic opportunities for residents.
Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Ebenezer Boluwade, said the government was prioritising the development of agricultural value chains that would connect farmers to reliable markets and provide processors with access to quality raw materials.
“We want to build agricultural value chains where farmers have reliable markets, processors have access to the volumes and quality they require, and more of the value created from our agricultural re
He added that connecting agricultural production with industry was central to the state’s food security, employment and broader economic development agenda.
Commissioner for Investment, Trade and Industry, Omotayo Adeola, said the next priority was to turn the expressions of interest into actual investments.
She explained that the state would pursue the engagements through site visits, commercial agreements, capital deployment and the establishment of factories.
Adeola also reaffirmed Ekiti’s readiness to work with credible investors interested in establishing productive businesses in the state.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Transformation and Service Delivery, Dr John Ekundayo, said the success of the investment mission would ultimately be measured by its economic impact.
According to him, the focus would be on how the investments translate into job creation, stronger businesses, increased productivity and new economic activities across the state.
The Founder of Welcome2Africa International, Bamidele Seun Owoola, also described the mission as evidence of the growing international interest in Ekiti’s industrial and investment opportunities.
The state government is now expected to build on the discussions held in Egypt by advancing negotiations with interested investors and creating the conditions required for the proposed projects to move from expressions of interest to actual capital investments.
If successfully implemented, the investments could strengthen Ekiti’s agricultural and industrial value chains, expand local production and create new opportunities for businesses and workers across the state.
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