Most opportunities on this platform involve applying once, waiting, and finding out if you got in. The DBN Entrepreneurship Training Program works differently: it’s an ongoing pipeline, now in its 8th cycle, where you register whenever you’re ready, work through free online business courses at your own pace, and your performance in those courses determines whether you get invited to the next stage.
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There’s no fixed application deadline holding this open — the Development Bank of Nigeria runs it continuously, with in-person workshops rolled out state by state and city by city as cohorts fill. If you’re an MSME owner in Nigeria wondering whether you’ve missed your chance, the honest answer is no — you can register on the BizAid platform right now, and the only real deadline pressure is the one you set for yourself by not starting.
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About the DBN Entrepreneurship Training Program
The Development Bank of Nigeria is a development finance institution the Federal Government set up specifically to solve a financing problem that’s affected Nigerian MSMEs for years: DBN itself doesn’t lend cash directly to businesses. Instead, it channels funds and risk-sharing support through participating financial institutions — commercial banks and microfinance banks — which then on-lend to entrepreneurs.
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The Entrepreneurship Training Program exists because DBN recognised that access to finance alone doesn’t solve the problem; many MSMEs struggle to secure funding not because capital isn’t available, but because their bookkeeping, business plans, and financial literacy aren’t strong enough to make them “bankable” in the eyes of lenders.
This program is DBN’s answer to that gap — free training designed to make participating businesses more structured and more credible to the financial institutions DBN works with, with grant competitions layered on top for the strongest performers. It’s now run eight cycles, and in some regions — Anambra State’s current cohort is one example — the program runs with state-specific workshop dates and grant pools, so the exact structure you encounter may vary slightly depending on where in Nigeria you’re applying from.
DBN Entrepreneurship Training Program Summary
| Scholarship Name ⇒ | DBN Entrepreneurship Training Program |
| Host Country ⇒ | Nigeria |
| Study Level ⇒ | Training |
| Benefits ⇒ | Free business training, mentorship, certificates, and access to grant funding |
| Funded by ⇒ | Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN) |
| Eligible Countries ⇒ | Nigeria |
| Application Deadline ⇒ | Not specified — the program runs on a rolling basis. Register and complete courses as early as you’re able, since in-person workshop invitations depend on when you finish and how you score. |
What Participants Actually Gain
The program builds in stages, and each stage unlocks the next rather than all benefits arriving at once:
- Free online business training, delivered through the DBN BizAid Learning Management System, covering the practical gaps that most commonly prevent MSMEs from qualifying for financing
- In-person workshops in major cities — Abuja, Lagos, and Port Harcourt have hosted past cohorts, with some state-specific cohorts (Anambra State’s, for instance) running additional dedicated sessions — where you refine your actual business plan with guidance rather than working through generic material
- Mentorship from experienced business leaders, delivered primarily during the in-person stage, giving you direct feedback on your specific business rather than a one-size-fits-all curriculum
- A certificate of completion recognised by DBN, which carries some weight when presenting your business’s credibility to lenders or partners afterward
- Eligibility to compete for grant funding — high-performing participants move into a pitching stage, with some past cycles awarding individual grants and others structuring larger pooled grant funding across a shortlisted group
- Improved readiness to access further financing, which is really the program’s underlying goal — the training itself is designed to make your business a stronger candidate for the credit facilities DBN’s partner institutions offer afterwards
Worth being clear-eyed about: the training and mentorship are guaranteed to everyone who completes the courses and meets the score threshold. The grant funding is competitive and not guaranteed — treat it as the ceiling outcome of doing well, not the baseline you’re entitled to just for participating.
Eligibility Requirements
- You must be a Nigerian citizen
- You must be 18 years or older
- You must own or operate a registered, for-profit business in Nigeria — pre-registration ideas or informal, unregistered operations don’t meet this bar
- You must be willing to complete all four mandatory online courses on the BizAid LMS
- You must achieve a strong average score across course quizzes to progress — this threshold has been cited as 70% in some program materials and 80% in others, which suggests it may vary slightly by cycle or state cohort, so aim for as high a score as you can rather than treating either number as a safe minimum
- You must be available to attend in-person workshops in your assigned city if you’re shortlisted — this isn’t optional once you’re invited, since the practical, hands-on stage is where mentorship and grant pitching actually happen
Mandatory Courses on the BizAid LMS
All four of these must be completed, and all four factor into your average quiz score:
- Accounting & Bookkeeping — foundational financial record-keeping, which DBN treats as the single most common weakness among MSMEs seeking financing
- Sustainability for MSMEs — building a business model that holds up beyond short-term cash flow
- Marketing & Sales Techniques — practical customer acquisition and retention strategies suited to Nigerian MSME contexts
- Credit Management / Access to Finance — understanding how lenders assess businesses, which directly prepares you for the kind of scrutiny your business will face if you pursue financing after the program
The courses are self-paced, so there’s no cohort schedule forcing you through them on a fixed timeline — but treat your quiz scores seriously from the first course onward, since your average across all four determines whether you’re invited to the next stage at all.
Required Documents
- Valid means of identification — a National ID, driver’s licence, or international passport, used to confirm your identity as a Nigerian citizen at the application stage
- Business registration documents (CAC certificate) — this needs to be your actual Corporate Affairs Commission registration, confirming your business is formally registered and not just operating informally; businesses without CAC registration should complete this step before applying, since it’s a hard eligibility requirement, not a formality
- A business profile or executive summary — a clear, concise description of what your business does, its current stage, and its growth plans; this is your chance to make your business legible to reviewers who are screening a high volume of applicants, so avoid vague language and be specific about what your business actually does and sells
- Contact information — a working email address and phone number, since DBN communicates shortlisting decisions through both channels, and the application flow depends on you receiving a course-completion email promptly
- Proof of completion of the four mandatory BizAid courses — this is generated automatically through the LMS once you finish, so there’s no separate document to prepare here beyond actually completing the coursework and meeting the score requirement
How to Apply
- Register on the DBN BizAid platform.
- Complete all four mandatory courses on the BizAid LMS at your own pace.
- Aim for the highest average score you can across all course quizzes — treat this as competitive rather than a simple pass/fail bar.
- After completing all four courses, watch for an email containing a link to the in-person training application.
- Submit the in-person training application — you’ll receive a confirmation email within 24 hours of submitting.
- If shortlisted, DBN will contact you by both email and phone, so keep both channels active and check them regularly.
- Attend the in-person workshop in your assigned city — Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt, or a state-specific location depending on your cohort — if selected.
Deadline
There’s no fixed application deadline for this program — it runs on a rolling, ongoing basis, now in its 8th cycle. That said, “no deadline” doesn’t mean no time pressure in practice: in-person workshops run on periodic schedules by city and, in some cases, by state, so completing your courses earlier gives you a better chance of being included in the next scheduled workshop cycle rather than waiting for a later one. If you’re serious about the grant competition stage, register and start your courses now rather than treating the open-ended timeline as a reason to delay.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the DBN Entrepreneurship Training Program legitimate?
Yes. It’s administered directly by the Development Bank of Nigeria, a federal development finance institution, not a third party or private organiser.
Is the grant funding guaranteed if I complete the courses?
No. Completing the courses and meeting the score threshold makes you eligible to be considered for the in-person stage and grant competition — it doesn’t guarantee grant funding, which depends on your performance relative to other shortlisted participants.
Can new or early-stage businesses apply?
Yes, as long as the business is registered with the CAC and actively operating. The program doesn’t require a minimum number of years in business, though your business profile should reflect a genuine, functioning operation.
Is the grant repayable?
No. Based on the program’s stated terms, grant funding awarded through the pitching stage is non-repayable, provided you comply with the program’s conditions.
What quiz score do I actually need to progress?
Cited thresholds vary slightly across DBN’s own materials and cohort-specific announcements — some state 70%, others 80%. Rather than aiming for the lower figure as a safe minimum, treat the courses as competitive and aim for as high a score as possible.
Disclaimer: All program details, eligibility criteria, and benefits in this post were verified from official and reported sources as of July 2026. Information is subject to change without notice, and specific figures such as quiz score thresholds may vary by cohort or state. Always confirm the latest details directly on the official DBN BizAid platform before applying. ScholarWaka is not affiliated with the Development Bank of Nigeria.
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