Nigerian non-profits helping young people develop digital skills and find work have until 5 pm WAT today, October 6, to submit an initial application for Citi Foundation grants worth $500,000 each. The foundation’s fourth Global Innovation Challenge will distribute up to $25 million across 50 organisations developing programmes that prepare low-income youth for employment in an economy increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence.
The call for applications was announced on September 9 and reaches its first-stage deadline on Tuesday, October 6. Applicants must submit a Letter of Inquiry through Citi’s online portal by noon New York time, which is 5 pm in Nigeria. Nigeria is among the programme’s eligible countries, and up to 50 nonprofits will receive $500,000 each.
To be eligible, applicants must be legally registered nonprofits whose work specifically serves low-income people, with proposed programmes benefiting at least one eligible country. Organisations advancing to the full application stage must provide externally audited financial statements covering some part of 2024 or a subsequent year. Individuals, sole proprietorships and organisations requiring a fiscal sponsor are excluded.
Successful applicants will receive restricted programme funding over 24 months, starting no earlier than June 2027. Citi anticipates paying each award in two annual instalments of $250,000. Selection is competitive, and submitting the initial form does not guarantee funding. Funding priorities extend beyond teaching people to operate AI tools.
Citi also wants programmes that combine technical training with critical thinking and problem-solving, improve access to shared devices and digital resources, or introduce AI into existing youth employment services. The official application page links to the registration portal, eligibility guidance and a downloadable drafting form. Applicants should prepare their registration details, current and previous operating budgets, staffing information, principal donors and two separate organisational contacts.
Applicants must also describe relevant experience, including a recent example explaining whom they supported and the results achieved. For the proposed programme, Citi asks applicants to identify a specific employment challenge, explain their response and show how it improves on existing efforts. A general promise to “train young people in AI” will therefore need supporting detail about the participants, the barriers they face and the work opportunities the programme addresses.
The completed Letter of Inquiry must reach the official online portal before 5 pm WAT today. Citi’s guidance warns that the online form cannot save unfinished responses. Organisations should draft offline, retain a copy and transfer their completed answers into the portal. Submitting the downloaded document by email will not count as an application.
Key points
- Up to 50 nonprofits will receive $500,000 each in funding from Citi Foundation.
