The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has opened applications for the NIMASA Blue Economy Accelerator Programme (NIMASA-BEAP) 2026, a national initiative designed to help young Nigerians develop innovative solutions for the maritime and blue economy sectors. The programme is open to Nigerians aged 18 to 28 with innovative ideas that can address challenges or create opportunities across Nigeria’s blue economy value chain. Applications opened on October 5, 2026, and will close on November 13, 2026.
Programme Overview
• NIMASA-BEAP is an innovation and entrepreneurship programme created by NIMASA to identify and support young Nigerians developing solutions for Nigeria’s maritime and blue economy.
• It combines a National Innovation Hackathon with a 12-week accelerator programme.
• Successful participants will have the opportunity to develop their ideas, receive support, and eventually showcase their solutions to investors, industry stakeholders, and other potential partners.
Who Can Apply
• The programme is open to Nigerians aged 18 to 28 years old.
• Applicants should have innovative ideas or solutions relevant to Nigeria’s maritime and blue economy sectors.
• The programme is particularly relevant to young innovators, entrepreneurs, founders, technology developers, researchers, students, and young professionals working on relevant solutions.
• NIMASA has positioned the programme as a platform for young Nigerians to develop practical solutions and turn innovative ideas into viable enterprises.
Innovation Tracks and Focus Areas
• NIMASA-BEAP covers a broad range of maritime and blue economy challenges.
• The programme’s official portal identifies 13 innovation tracks:
• Maritime Technology and Logistics
• Maritime Safety, Surveillance and Security
• Green Shipping and Vessel Decarbonisation
• Seafarer Welfare and Workforce Technology
• Port Digitisation and Smart Port Solutions
• Marine Waste Management and Blue Circular Economy
• Aquaculture and Sustainable Fisheries
• Coastal and Artisanal Fishing Value Chain
• Ocean Data and Analytics
• Nature-Based Coastal Defence Solutions
• Marine Tourism and Coastal Recreation
• Marine Biotechnology
• Deep Seabed Mining Technologies and Research
• Applicants can approach the challenge from technology, logistics, environmental sustainability, fisheries, data, tourism, port operations, and other areas connected to Nigeria’s maritime economy.
What the Programme Offers
• The programme is structured as a pipeline that takes promising ideas through several stages.
• National Innovation Hackathon: After applications are evaluated, selected applicants will proceed to the hackathon, scheduled for December 8–10, 2026. The hackathon will give participants an opportunity to further develop and assess their ideas.
• 12-Week Accelerator: Successful participants from the hackathon will proceed to a 12-week accelerator programme in the first quarter of 2027. The accelerator is designed to help participants develop their solutions and businesses further.
• National Demo Day: The programme will culminate in a National Demo Day in the second quarter of 2027. Participating ventures will have an opportunity to showcase their solutions and businesses to investors, maritime industry stakeholders, and potential partners.
Programme Timeline
• Applications open: October 5, 2026
• Application deadline: November 13, 2026
• Evaluation and due diligence: November 16 – December 2, 2026
• National Innovation Hackathon: December 8–10, 2026
• 12-week Accelerator: First quarter of 2027
• National Demo Day: Second quarter of 2027
What Kind of Ideas Should Applicants Submit
• Applicants should focus on a clear problem or opportunity within the maritime and blue economy and propose a practical solution.
• Potential areas include digital tools for ports and maritime logistics, maritime safety and surveillance technology, green shipping solutions, technologies supporting seafarers, smart port systems, marine waste recycling and circular economy solutions, sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, fishing value-chain technology, ocean data platforms, coastal resilience solutions, marine tourism technology, marine biotechnology, and deep-sea technologies.
• Applicants do not need to limit their ideas to these examples. The key requirement is that the proposed solution fits within one of the programme’s blue economy innovation tracks.
How to Apply
• Interested young Nigerians can apply through the official NIMASA Blue Economy Accelerator Programme portal.
• The application portal is available at: https://nbeap.nimasa.gov.ng/
• Applicants should submit their applications before the November 13, 2026 deadline.
• The application deadline for NIMASA-BEAP 2026 is November 13, 2026.
• Only applicants who meet the programme requirements and pass the evaluation and due diligence stages will proceed to the National Innovation Hackathon.
Key Details
• Programme: NIMASA Blue Economy Accelerator Programme 2026
• Organiser: Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA)
• Country: Nigeria
• Eligible applicants: Nigerians aged 18–28
• Focus: Maritime and blue economy innovation
• Innovation tracks: 13
• Hackathon: December 8–10, 2026
• Accelerator: 12 weeks, first quarter of 2027
• Demo Day: Second quarter of 2027
• Application deadline: November 13, 2026
• Application fee: No application fee stated by NIMASA
NIMASA-BEAP 2026 provides a structured pathway for young Nigerian innovators to develop and present solutions within the maritime and blue economy. Through a hackathon, a 12-week accelerator, and a National Demo Day, the initiative seeks to support participants in idea validation, business development, and investor engagement. Interested applicants should submit through the official portal before November 13, 2026.