Applications have opened for Cohort 2 of DBN Academy’s 2026 entrepreneurship programme, with Nigerian MSMEs that complete the process eligible for November 2026 workshops and a pitch competition.
The programme starts with 11 self-paced online courses on the BizAid platform, and participants must score at least 80% in four mandatory modules to advance.
Top performers move to regional in-person workshops for advanced training, mentorship, business-plan refinement and investor-readiness coaching before selected businesses pitch for grant funding.
DBN said the free initiative targets persistent MSME gaps in business management, financial planning and access to finance, while requiring workshop applicants to run a CAC-registered or recognized cooperative business for at least two years.