By Sandra Chukwunyere
The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has announced the removal of the age restriction for participation in its National Innovation Hackathon 2026, under the NIMASA Blue Economy Accelerator Programme (NIMASA-BEAP), following widespread demand from Nigerians seeking to participate in the initiative.
According to a statement signed by Osagie Edward, FNIPR, Deputy Director/Head, Public Relations, NIMASA, the NIMASA-BEAP application portal, which opened on Monday, October 5, 2026, is now available to all Nigerians aged 18 years and above, regardless of gender, ethnicity, religion or educational background.
NIMASA is therefore urging Nigerian innovators, entrepreneurs, researchers, developers, engineers, artisans, graduates and students to take advantage of the opportunity and submit their applications on the portal at no cost.
The National Innovation Hackathon, scheduled for December 8–10, 2026, is designed to identify innovative solutions to challenges and opportunities across Nigeria’s maritime and blue economy.
The Hackathon features 13 innovation tracks, covering areas including maritime technology and logistics; maritime safety, surveillance and security; green shipping and vessel decarbonisation; seafarer welfare; port digitisation; marine waste management; aquaculture and sustainable fisheries; coastal and artisanal fishing; ocean data and analytics; nature-based coastal defence; marine tourism; marine biotechnology; and deep seabed mining technologies and research.
Successful innovators will have the opportunity to progress into the 12-week NIMASA-BEAP Accelerator Programme, running from January to April 2027, where selected ventures will receive structured mentorship, industry exposure and venture-development support.
The programme will culminate in a National Demo Day in April 2027, providing opportunities for engagement with investors, industry partners, potential customers and other stakeholders.
NIMASA-BEAP is conceived as more than a competition. It is a national innovation-to-market pipeline designed to identify promising Nigerian solutions, develop them into viable ventures and connect them to opportunities within Nigeria’s marine and blue economy.
NIMASA therefore encourages Nigerians with innovative ideas and solutions capable of addressing maritime and blue economy challenges to seize the opportunity.
Applications close on Friday, November 13, 2026, and interested applicants are required to apply through the official NIMASA-BEAP portal: https://nbeap.nimasa.gov.ng/
