NIMASA Removes Age Barrier as Blue Economy Hackathon Portal Opens to All Nigerians

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has removed the age restriction for participation in its National Innovation Hackathon 2026 under the NIMASA Blue Economy Accelerator Programme (NIMASA-BEAP), opening the initiative to a wider pool of Nigerian innovators and entrepreneurs.

The agency said the decision followed widespread requests from Nigerians seeking to participate in the programme, which is designed to identify, develop and support innovative solutions to challenges and emerging opportunities in the country's maritime and blue economy sectors.

With the removal of the age barrier, the NIMASA-BEAP application portal is now open to all Nigerians aged 18 years and above, irrespective of gender, ethnicity, religion or educational background.

The application portal, which opened on Monday, October 5, 2026, allows interested participants to submit their applications free of charge.

NIMASA is encouraging innovators, entrepreneurs, researchers, software developers, engineers, artisans, graduates and students with ideas capable of addressing maritime and blue economy challenges to take advantage of the opportunity.

The National Innovation Hackathon is scheduled to hold from December 8 to 10, 2026, and will focus on generating practical solutions that can strengthen maritime operations, improve environmental sustainability and unlock economic opportunities across Nigeria's marine-related industries.

13 Innovation Tracks Target Maritime Challenges

The hackathon features 13 innovation tracks covering a broad range of activities within the maritime and blue economy ecosystem.

The areas include 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.

The range of focus areas reflects the programme's intention to attract ideas from different professional and technical backgrounds, including technology, engineering, environmental management, fisheries, research and marine transportation.

By opening participation to Nigerians regardless of educational background, NIMASA is also creating room for practical innovations from people whose skills and experience may have been acquired outside conventional academic institutions.

The initiative could provide a platform for participants to develop solutions to issues affecting maritime safety, port efficiency, coastal communities, sustainable fishing, marine environmental protection and the wider development of the blue economy.

Selected Innovators To Receive Acceleration Support

Beyond the hackathon, successful innovators will have an opportunity to progress into the 12-week NIMASA-BEAP Accelerator Programme, scheduled to run from January to April 2027.

Under the accelerator programme, selected ventures will receive structured mentorship, exposure to industry stakeholders and support for venture development, with the aim of helping promising ideas evolve into commercially viable solutions.

The programme will culminate in a National Demo Day in April 2027, where participating innovators will have opportunities to engage with investors, industry partners, potential customers and other stakeholders.

The engagement is expected to provide a platform for innovators to present their solutions, establish business relationships and explore opportunities for investment, partnerships and market access.

The accelerator component is particularly important because developing an innovative idea is only one stage in the process of building a sustainable enterprise. Many promising ideas require technical guidance, market validation, business development assistance and access to potential customers before they can become commercially successful.

Through the programme, NIMASA is seeking to bridge the gap between innovation and market adoption by helping selected ventures develop solutions that can respond to identifiable needs within the maritime and blue economy sectors.

NIMASA Targets Innovation-To-Market Pipeline

The agency explained that NIMASA-BEAP was conceived as more than a competition, describing it as a national innovation-to-market pipeline intended to identify promising Nigerian solutions, develop them into viable ventures and connect them with opportunities within the country's marine and blue economy.

This approach places emphasis not only on generating ideas but also on supporting their development into practical products, services and businesses that can contribute to economic activity.

Nigeria's blue economy encompasses economic activities associated with the sustainable use of marine and aquatic resources, including shipping, ports, fisheries, aquaculture, marine tourism and related services.

Innovation across these areas can create opportunities for entrepreneurship, improve operational efficiency and support environmental sustainability, while helping businesses respond to the needs of coastal communities and maritime operators.

The 13 tracks under the hackathon provide potential participants with a wide range of entry points, from technology-driven solutions for ports and maritime logistics to innovations in fisheries, marine biotechnology, coastal protection and waste management.

For artisans and other practically skilled Nigerians, the removal of the educational background restriction also widens the opportunity to present solutions developed through hands-on experience and technical expertise.

NIMASA has therefore urged Nigerians with innovative ideas and solutions capable of addressing maritime and blue economy challenges to apply before the deadline.

Applications close on Friday, November 13, 2026.

Interested applicants can access the official NIMASA-BEAP application portal at https://nbeap.nimasa.gov.ng/ and submit their applications at no cost.