With this, the innovative e-commerce store builder empowering creators to monetise their knowledge and skills as digital products, is expanding  its reach to both secondary and tertiary students across Nigeria.

The initiative reiterates the company’s focus on tackling fraud at its roots by providing education and legitimate opportunities for young people.

This year, Selar is committing N10 million to support 150 students at critical stages of their academic journey.

Fifty final-year university and polytechnic students will each receive N100,000, while 100 SS3 students preparing for WAEC and JAMB exams will receive N50,000 each. Applications open February 24 and close March 13, 2026.

The Smart Hustle Initiative operates on the belief that preventing fraud starts with access to education and legitimate income pathways.

With school fees becoming more expensive, reports reveal a 200% increase in Nigeria, many families are unable to afford education.

Selar’s program aims to ease these issues while empowering students to pursue lawful, rewarding opportunities.

Beyond grants, the initiative is evolving into a larger movement. Selar plans nationwide campaigns, community engagement programs, and partnerships to groom young Nigerians with digital skills, financial literacy, and ethical income opportunities.

“There is so much to the fraud culture in Nigeria today, and the Smart Hustle Initiative is our response to it,” said Douglas Kendyson, CEO of Selar.

“Our big goal is to reduce the number of people drawn into fraud while offering legitimate pathways to success. This fund is a very small piece of the puzzle. It’s a simple cushion for students needing support.  

“Hopelessness is very dangerous for parents and students alike, and if this fund can give hope for them to keep their head up, it would be money well spent.”

In targeting students at key transitions, from SS3 exams to final-year tertiary studies, Selar hopes to reduce the financial stress that can push students out of school or toward fraudulent activities.

The initiative is built as a long-term investment in Nigeria’s youth and an important step toward promoting education as a credible path to economic mobility.

Eligibility requirements for the university category include:

• Final-year enrollment in an accredited Nigerian institution
• Minimum CGPA of 3.0 or 65% cumulative grade
• Proven financial need
• Submission of a video statement of purpose, valid student ID, and latest transcript

For secondary school applicants, proof of SS3 status or recent school results, WAEC or JAMB registration, and a video application are required.

Applications are reviewed by an independent selection committee, with beneficiaries notified after evaluation.

Call for Volunteers

Selar is also calling on individuals and communities to participate as volunteers, helping young people gain life skills, media awareness, and financial literacy alongside ethical income pathways.

The agreement, signed in Abuja, moves past the typical bureaucratic pledges. It sets in motion actual plans to build live performance venues across the country, create support structures for local creatives, and connect Nigerian content to international markets. 

More importantly, it acknowledges a basic truth that’s been ignored for too long—Nigeria’s cultural wealth means little without solid systems behind it.

“This partnership with Chocolate City exemplifies our commitment to harnessing the power of public-private collaboration to build sustainable creative ecosystems that empower Nigerian talent and showcase our cultural wealth globally,” said Hannatu Musa Musawa, minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism, and the Creative Economy.

I find this partnership refreshing—not just for its intent, but for the clear-headedness behind it. Too often, creatives in Nigeria operate in silos, fighting distribution bottlenecks, pirated work, and invisible policies.

Now, a joint working committee made up of the Ministry and Chocolate City will steer this project. That’s the kind of structure this industry has been gasping for.

The music business alone generates about $2 billion annually, according to Chocolate City’s co-founder, Audu Maikori. “Afrobeats has emerged as Nigeria’s most powerful cultural ambassador,” he said. “Beyond this, Afrobeats also serves as a powerful cultural export and diplomatic resource, enhancing Nigeria’s global reputation.”

But he didn’t stop at the figures. Maikori was blunt about what’s holding back the full potential of Nigerian entertainment. “By working with the government, we can address long-standing challenges in distribution, infrastructure, and rights protection that have limited the sector’s full potential.”

Paul Okeugo, co-founder and vice chairman of Chocolate City, drove the point home. “When we develop performance venues and creative spaces across Nigeria, we’re creating jobs not just for artists but for sound engineers, event managers, security personnel, hospitality workers, and countless others.” In other words, this is an economic strategy.

The partnership also folds into the federal government’s “Nigeria Destination 2030” vision, which aims to brand Nigeria as a global hotspot for culture, tourism, and investment. That’s a big goal, and frankly, a long shot without the involvement of serious private players like Chocolate City.

To be clear, this is not some hurried PR stunt. Chocolate City has earned its stripes. Since launching in 2005, it has incubated major talent—Femi Kuti, Ice Prince, Blaqbonez, MI—and evolved into a 360-degree entertainment outfit. 

From publishing to advertising, their business model is proof that Nigerian creativity can scale, structure, and succeed.

Maikori put it best: “There’s a ton of things that we’ve done over the past 20 years. So it’s not only the label. Chocolate City today has artists like Young John. He’s a very known black artist. We have Femi Kuti on the band and others. Our vision always was to progress beyond doing the same thing over and over again.”

He also offered a rare look into how the company has managed to survive two decades in a cutthroat industry: succession and structure. “We are also the only record label, I’m sure, in the continent, locally owned, that has been able to transition and successively bring in people that have taken over the business.”

And that’s why this deal matters. It’s not just about government throwing money at a problem. It’s tapping into working models, partnering with businesses that have real-world experience, and finally giving Nigerian creatives more than simple applause—they get actual support.

So what’s next? If implemented with the urgency and precision it deserves, this partnership could change things. Creatives across Nigeria might finally get the spaces, systems, and respect they’ve long deserved. But if it collapses into the usual bureaucracy, it’ll be yet another missed opportunity.