How To Access FG’s ₦5m Business Funding For Young Nigerian Entrepreneurs
BySodiq OlaitanAugust 14, 20263 min readApplications for the youth entrepreneurship programme open on August 19, 2026, through the Nigerian Youth Academy platform. Selected founders will receive up to ₦5m in. . .
BySodiq OlaitanAugust 14, 20263 min readApplications for the youth entrepreneurship programme open on August 19, 2026, through the Nigerian Youth Academy platform. Selected founders will receive up to ₦5m in non-dilutive funding after completing the four-week programme. Participants will undergo business training, mentorship and pitch preparation to improve their chances of attracting investment. The Federal Government has introduced a new entrepreneurship programme through which selected young Nigerian founders can access up to ₦5m in non-dilutive funding to develop and expand their businesses. The NiYA × Cascador Founders Programme is being implemented by the Nigerian Youth Academy under the Federal Ministry of Youth Development in partnership with Cascador. ATTENTION:Click“HERE”to join our WhatsApp group and receive News updates directly onyour WhatsApp!The initiative is targeted at early-stage entrepreneurs and is designed to strengthen their business capacity while preparing them for investment and access to capital. Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, announced the programme on Friday, saying it would provide young founders with practical support beyond conventional entrepreneurship training. Under the pilot programme, selected entrepreneurs will participate in a four-week intensive programme covering business fundamentals, investment readiness, pitch preparation and one-on-one mentorship. At the end of the programme, the best-performing participants will be considered for non-dilutive funding of up to ₦5m each, to be provided by Cascador. The beneficiaries will also receive an Enterprise Resource Planning solution designed to help them organise, manage and scale their businesses more effectively. Olawande said the initiative was developed to address the difficulty many young entrepreneurs face in moving from training and business ideas to actual access to capital. READ ALSO:Tax Reforms: Oyedele Urges Young Entrepreneurs to Keep Proper Business Records“We do not want to stop at training. We want to build a stronger bridge from learning to enterprise, from ideas to investment readiness, and from potential to sustainable businesses,” the minister said. According to him, the partnership followed engagements between the ministry and Cascador, including a meeting he hosted on April 29. He described the programme as an example of how collaboration between government and private-sector organisations could translate into practical opportunities for Nigerian youths. How to applyApplications for the NiYA × Cascador Founders Programme will open on Wednesday, August 19, 2026. Interested young Nigerian entrepreneurs are expected to apply through the official Nigerian Youth Academy platform when the application window opens. The platform will provide applicants with the eligibility requirements, application form and submission guidelines. Importantly, the ₦5m funding is not an automatic payment to everyone who applies. The funding will be awarded to top-performing founders selected through the programme after the required training and assessment process. Applicants are therefore expected to meet the programme’s eligibility conditions and participate fully in the four-week programme to be considered for the funding opportunity. For publication of Press Releases, Statements, and Advert Inquiries, send an email to[email protected]