Gbenga Ilemobayo
The Mary Ojulari Foundation has opened the call for applications for the Vanguard Fellowship Cohort 2, its flagship entrepreneurship initiative designed to identify, equip and elevate visionary innovators across Nigeria.
Following a highly successful inaugural cohort that supported 25 entrepreneurs with $125,000 in business growth funding, the Foundation is inviting a new generation of change makers to join the Vanguard community — a platform where ideas meet opportunity, mentorship and measurable impact.
The second cohort of the Vanguard Fellowship continues the Foundation’s mission to nurture purpose-driven entrepreneurs who are building sustainable solutions to pressing community and economic challenges. Through a combination of capacity building, business mentorship and catalytic funding, the programme empowers participants to turn vision into viable enterprise.
Applications were opened from September 24 and will close on October 26 2025, with a shortlist of winners on October 30 and interviews scheduled for November 1 and 2, 2025.
Shortlisted applicants will participate in the Ignite boot camp, a two-week immersive learning experience running from November 10 to 21, 2025, followed by Pitch Day on November 20 and 21, 2025, during which fellows will present their business ideas to a panel of investors and industry leaders for a chance to receive seed funding and ongoing mentorship.
Speaking about the initiative, Founder of the Mary Ojulari Foundation, Mrs. Mary Ojulari, said the fellowship was designed to bridge the gap between innovation and opportunity.
Ojulari said, “There are so many ideas that fade, not because they lack potential, but because they lack access to capital, mentorship, and the right mindset.
“The Vanguard Fellowship exists to nurture those ideas and the exceptional individuals behind them. We’re building a community of bold thinkers who lead with purpose, create sustainable value, and inspire others to rise.”
She added that empowerment, at its core, must create a ripple effect — transforming individuals, while strengthening the communities they serve.
“Our goal is to support founders who are intentional, disciplined, and ready to build solutions that make lives better. The impact must circulate — when one is lifted, others should rise too,” Ojulari stated.
Applications are open to aspiring and emerging entrepreneurs across Nigeria, who are developing innovative, sustainable solutions to real challenges in their communities.
Each applicant may submit either a five-minute video or a 750-word written piece detailing their story, business idea, and vision for impact.
Submissions are to be sent to vanguardfellowship@maryojularifoundation.org. Further details, including the application toolkit and updates, are available on the foundation’s official social media pages.
