In a tangible signal that Nigeria’s public sector is getting more deliberate about backing young builders, the Federal Ministry of Youth Development through the Nigerian Youth Academy, NiYA and Cascador have awarded ₦5 million each in non-dilutive funding to eight founders. The total for the top winners is ₦40 million roughly $30,000 at prevailing exchange rates plus smaller awards for the rest of the cohort.
The announcement came at the programme’s Pitch Day in Abuja, the climax of a four-week pilot designed to move early-stage businesses from idea and early operations toward stronger systems and growth capital without taking equity.
The call for applications, launched around International Youth Day in August 2026, pulled in more than 19,000 submissions. From that pool, just 17 founders from 13 states spanning all six geopolitical zones were admitted.
Their businesses tackle everyday Nigerian realities: post-harvest losses, malnutrition, waste management, vaccine cold chains, clean energy access, and digital education.
The 8 Pitch Day Winners and their Companies are:
· Andrew Ogbeh — SewPro a digital business management tool for tailors and fashion entrepreneurs.
· Patrick Ifeanyi Chukwu — Biuda technology education for children and teenagers via interactive content
· Ameedat Eniola Olaniyan — Sparklean Station Nigeria Limited cleaning and disinfectant manufacturing
· Favour Ngozi Nnadi — Backel Food Services Limited focused on healthier food and beverage products
· Khuzaifa Aminu — Shellify converting eggshell waste into useful materials
· Ayisat Adama Adamu — Rèkool Access Technology solar-powered refrigeration and cold-storage systems
· Godslove Emmanuel Asuquo — Agrosavvy Consult focused on agriculture services
· Kabir Olaosebikan — Craft Planet processing plastic waste into sustainable construction materials
The remaining nine founders each received ₦1 million in non-dilutive growth capital. Every participant also gets access to SMECore, an enterprise resource planning (ERP) platform developed by Sapphital the Ministry’s technical partner, plus continued alumni status with NiYA.
Cascador CEO Trish Thomas emphasised the practical outcome of the public-private partnership by putting capital and support into the hands of founders who can grow businesses and create jobs in their communities.
“This programme will prove to be a defining step in our growth story, giving us the business foundations and confidence to pursue our ambitions,” said Kabir Olaosebikan, founder of Craft Planet, one of the selected startups. “With the funding and ERP platform, we now have the means to put what we’ve learned into action. Our focus is to build on our sustainable plastic waste solutions and create jobs as we grow.”
Minister of Youth Development Ayodele Olawande framed the initiative in the language of the Renewed Hope Agenda: turning young people into job creators rather than job seekers.
The four-week programme combined practical business training with direct engagement with regulators and support agencies. Founders received guidance on sales and customer service, data protection, product standards, and compliance. Sessions involved agencies including the Nigeria Data Protection Commission, Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), NAFDAC, Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), NITDA, NEXIM Bank, and others.
This pilot sits alongside other federal efforts to channel resources into startups and MSMEs. Larger programmes such as the iDICE Startup Bridge implemented by the Bank of Industry with multilateral partners have distributed hundreds of millions of naira in non-dilutive grants to idea-stage and early founders.
Cascador itself has a longer track record: since 2019 it says it has supported 80 companies that collectively raised more than $150 million, and it recently partnered with Sterling Bank on a $200 million facility aimed at helping Nigerian SMEs and startups access loans.
“We share NiYA and FMYD’s commitment to giving Nigeria’s ambitious young founders the capital and practical support they need to build stronger businesses,” Trish Thomas, chief executive officer of Cascador, said in a statement. “This partnership has put that commitment into action, and seeing eight deserving founders secure funding at Pitch Day is an encouraging outcome for the pilot. We look forward to seeing them use this backing to grow their businesses and create jobs in the communities they serve.”
What stands out about the NiYA-Cascador model is its relatively tight focused intense selection, short intensive support, non-dilutive capital, and tools that improve day-to-day operations paired with government reach into regulatory agencies.
Nigeria’s youth bulge is often discussed as a demographic challenge. Initiatives that systematically identify ambitious founders across the country, equip them with both capital and operational capacity, and connect them to formal institutions represent one practical response.
For the eight founders holding ₦5 million cheques and the nine receiving ₦1 million each, the real test begins now: turning the capital, the ERP system, and the regulatory knowledge into sustainable growth and jobs
For the broader ecosystem, the pilot is another data point that government and specialised private platforms can collaborate productively when the goal is clear and the selection rigorous. The next cohorts, if the model is expanded, will show whether this approach can move from promising pilot to meaningful pipeline.
