# NIMASA announces youth blue-economy accelerator application dates

> NIMASA announced a maritime and blue-economy innovation programme for Nigerians aged 18–28, with the portal scheduled to open on 5 October and applications due by 13 November. A December hackathon and a 12-week accelerator in 2027 are planned.

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- Publisher: Newsverum
- Section: Technology
- Country: Nigeria
- Published: 2026-10-06T17:11:50+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-07T00:55:49+03:00
- Event / data period: 2026-10-03
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The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) announced that applications for its Blue Economy Accelerator Programme would open on 5 October for its Blue Economy Accelerator Programme, Voice of Nigeria reported. The programme targets Nigerian innovators aged 18 to 28 and combines a national innovation hackathon with a 12-week accelerator for maritime and blue-economy ideas.

The reported application window runs through 13 November 2026, with evaluation scheduled from 16 November to 2 December. A national hackathon is planned for 8–10 December; selected participants are then expected to enter a 12-week accelerator in the first quarter of 2027 and a demo day in the second quarter. The report describes a timetable and selection process, not grants or guaranteed business outcomes.

## Data

### Timeline of NIMASA’s blue-economy accelerator

Application and programme schedule reported by VON from NIMASA.

Methodology: Application dates are the timetable announced by NIMASA and reported by VON; the 3 October source said the portal would open on 5 October. Future stages are plans, not completed selections or outcomes.

| Milestone | Date or period | Reported status |
|---|---|---|
| Portal opening | 2026-10-05 | Scheduled to open 2026-10-05, as announced by NIMASA. |
| Application deadline | 2026-11-13 | Scheduled deadline. |
| Application evaluation | 2026-11-16 to 2026-12-02 | Scheduled. |
| National innovation hackathon | 2026-12-08 to 2026-12-10 | Scheduled. |
| 12-week accelerator | 2027 Q1 | Planned for selected innovators. |
| National Demo Day | 2027 Q2 | Scheduled future milestone. |

Sources: <https://von.gov.ng/maritime-agency-opens-portal-for-blue-economy-accelerator-programme/> · Download data: [JSON](https://newsverum.com/api/v1/articles/nigeria-nimasa-opens-applications-for-blue-economy-accelerator/data/nigeria-blue-economy-accelerator-timeline?lang=en&format=json) · [CSV](https://newsverum.com/api/v1/articles/nigeria-nimasa-opens-applications-for-blue-economy-accelerator/data/nigeria-blue-economy-accelerator-timeline?lang=en&format=csv)

## Sources

- [Voice of Nigeria](<https://von.gov.ng/maritime-agency-opens-portal-for-blue-economy-accelerator-programme/>) (Source checked: 2026-10-06; Published: 2026-10-03)

## Correction history

- 2026-10-07T00:55:49+03:00: German and Portuguese editions and translations of the data and correction explanations have been added to this article.

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