SME100AFRICA is proud to announce the 10th edition of the Nigeria 25under25 Awards — a platform built to recognize, support, and spotlight Nigeria’s most outstanding entrepreneurs under the age of 25.
🎯 2025 Theme: “A Decade of Impact – Celebrating Legacy, Building the Future”
Over the past 10 years, the Nigeria 25under25 Awards has grown into a national movement — giving visibility, funding, mentorship, and credibility to youth-led businesses transforming their communities and industries.
This year, we reaffirm our commitment to nurturing the next generation of African business leaders and innovators.
🏆 25 Award Categories
The 2025 edition will spotlight entrepreneurs across 25 sectors:
- Active Citizenship & Government Engagement
- Agriculture
- Arts, Craft & Culture
- Beauty & Makeup
- Creative Writing & Content Creation
- E-commerce
- Education
- Energy & Sustainability
- Environment & Interior Decor
- Event Planning
- Fashion
- Finance & Financial Technology
- Food & Drinks
- Health & Skincare
- Hospitality & Tourism
- Manufacturing & Logistics
- Media & Communications
- Music
- Performing Arts
- Photography
- Professional Services
- Social Entrepreneurship
- Software & Design
- Sports
- Technology
From rural communities to bustling cities, these categories reflect the entrepreneurial pulse of young Nigerians leading change.
👤 Who Can Be Nominated?
To be eligible for nomination:
- Founders must be below 25 years old when receiving the award
- Businesses must be at least 3 years old
- Nominee must be a Nigerian citizen
- Must demonstrate measurable impact in their industry or community
- Business must be registered under the CAC or SMEDAN, except for certain creative industries
- Nominee must have no ongoing legal or ethical concerns
📅 Nominations Open August 1st!
The nomination portal goes live on August 1st, 2025. We encourage Nigerians everywhere to nominate young founders making a difference.
👉 To nominate a founder, visit 25under25.org/nominate
Together, let’s continue our mission to empower Africa’s youth through access to finance, mentorship, market opportunities, and visibility.
