Federal Government Launches ₦5 Million Funding Programme for Young Nigerian Entrepreneurs
Young Nigerian founders could get up to ₦5 million without giving up equity. Here’s how the new government-backed programme works and who can apply.
The Federal Government has introduced a new programme offering selected young Nigerian entrepreneurs the opportunity to receive up to ₦5 million in non-dilutive funding without giving up ownership of their businesses.
The NiYA × Cascador Founders Programme is a partnership between the Nigerian Youth Academy (NiYA), under the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, and Cascador.
The initiative is designed to help early-stage founders strengthen their businesses, become investment-ready and gain access to capital.
It also aims to support entrepreneurs who may have viable ideas but struggle to access traditional funding because they lack established financial records or investor networks.
Four-Week Programme to Prepare Young Founders
Under the pilot programme, selected entrepreneurs will participate in an intensive four-week training programme covering business fundamentals, investment readiness and pitch preparation.
Participants will also receive one-on-one mentorship, giving founders an opportunity to work directly on the challenges affecting their businesses and prepare for potential investment.
At the end of the programme, the strongest-performing founders will be eligible to receive up to ₦5 million each in non-dilutive funding from Cascador.
Importantly, the ₦5 million is not guaranteed to every participant. Funding will be awarded to top-performing founders based on their performance throughout the programme.
Beyond Training: Funding and Business Tools
The programme is designed to address a common challenge facing young entrepreneurs: completing business training but still struggling to access capital.
According to Youth Development Minister Ayodele Olawande, the government wants the initiative to connect learning with actual business opportunities.
“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.”
In addition to the potential funding, beneficiaries will receive an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution to help them organize, manage and scale their businesses more effectively.
The partnership followed engagements between the Ministry of Youth Development and Cascador, including a meeting hosted by the minister on April 29.
Applications Open August 19
Applications for the NiYA × Cascador Founders Programme are scheduled to open on Wednesday, August 19, 2026.
Young Nigerian entrepreneurs interested in participating should check the official Nigerian Youth Academy website,when applications open for the eligibility requirements, application form and submission instructions.
The programme is particularly relevant for early-stage founders who have promising businesses but may lack the financial history, investor connections or networks traditionally needed to secure funding.
With the combination of training, mentorship, business-management tools and potential capital, the programme could give selected founders a clearer path from developing an idea to building an investment-ready business.