The Federal Government has announced a new programme that will provide up to N5 million in non-dilutive funding to selected young Nigerian entrepreneurs as part of efforts to support youth-owned businesses and improve access to capital.
The initiative, known as the NiYA × Cascador Founders Program is a partnership between the Nigerian Youth Academy under the Federal Ministry of Youth Development and Cascador.
The Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, announced the programme on Facebook on Friday, saying it was designed to help young business founders become investment-ready and gain better access to funding.
The programme is expected to target early-stage entrepreneurs who have business ideas or young ventures but may struggle to attract investment because of limited financial records, business networks or experience.
Under the pilot programme, selected entrepreneurs will take part in an intensive four-week training and development programme.
The training will cover key areas such as business fundamentals, investment readiness, pitch preparation and one-on-one mentorship.
At the end of the programme, the best-performing participants will be eligible to receive up to N5 million each in non-dilutive funding from Cascador.
Non-dilutive funding is financial support that does not require beneficiaries to give up ownership or shares in their businesses. This means successful founders can receive the funds without having to surrender equity in their companies.
The beneficiaries will also receive an Enterprise Resource Planning solution to help them organise and manage their businesses.
ERP systems are designed to bring important business operations such as finance, planning, inventory and other processes into a structured system. For young businesses, such tools can help improve record-keeping, planning and overall management as they grow.
Olawande said the initiative was designed to address a major challenge facing many young entrepreneurs in Nigeria: the gap between acquiring business knowledge and getting access to capital.
According to the minister, many young people have business ideas and entrepreneurial skills but lack the financial history, networks and other requirements often demanded by traditional sources of funding.
He said the government did not want its youth programmes to stop at training but wanted to create practical opportunities that could help participants turn their ideas into sustainable businesses.
“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.
The partnership with Cascador followed a series of engagements between the Federal Ministry of Youth Development and the organisation.
Olawande said one of the meetings that contributed to the development of the initiative was a meeting he hosted with Cascador on April 29.
He described the new program as an example of how engagements between the government and private organisations could produce practical opportunities for young Nigerians.
The government has in recent years placed greater highlights on youth entrepreneurship as part of efforts to address unemployment, support small businesses and encourage young Nigerians to become self-employed.
Young people make up a large part of Nigeria’s population, while many face difficulties finding formal employment. As a result, entrepreneurship and small businesses have become important sources of income and employment for many Nigerians.
However, access to finance remains one of the major challenges facing small and early-stage businesses.
Many young entrepreneurs struggle to secure loans because of high interest rates, lack of collateral, limited business records and inadequate access to investors.
Equity investment can also be difficult for founders who are not yet ready to give up part of their businesses.
The non-dilutive nature of the new programme could therefore make it attractive to early-stage founders who need funding without losing ownership of their ventures.
Beyond the financial support, the four-week programme is expected to give participants an opportunity to improve their business models and learn how to present their ventures to potential investors.
Pitch preparation, for instance, is an important part of raising funds because entrepreneurs need to clearly explain their products, markets, business plans and growth prospects to investors.
The one-on-one mentorship component is also expected to provide participants with guidance from experienced business professionals as they develop their ventures.
The Federal Government said the programme would focus on practical support rather than training alone.
The initiative is also expected to help selected founders develop the systems and skills needed to manage their businesses as they expand.
Applications for the NiYA × Cascador Founders Programme will open on Wednesday, August 19, 2026.
Interested young Nigerian entrepreneurs have been advised to monitor the Nigerian Youth Academy website when the application window opens.
The official platform will provide the eligibility requirements, application form and guidelines for submission.
The government has urged interested applicants to rely on the official platform for information about the programme and avoid depending on unverified information circulating on social media.
The introduction of the programme comes at a time when the government is under pressure to create more opportunities for young Nigerians and support businesses that can generate employment.
For the selected beneficiaries, the programme could provide more than financial support, as participants will also receive business training, mentorship and an ERP solution.
The success of the pilot programme will likely depend on the quality of entrepreneurs selected, the effectiveness of the training and mentorship, and how well the funding is used to grow the businesses.
For now, young entrepreneurs interested in participating have been advised to prepare for the opening of applications on August 19 and carefully study the official requirements before submitting their applications.