Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Youth Development (FMYD) has partnered with Cascador, a Nigeria-focused growth platform, to launch a pilot programme for young entrepreneurs. The programme, called the NiYA × Cascador Founders Program, aims to help early-stage founders move from ideas to investment-ready businesses.
The programme will start with a cohort of 20 early-stage Nigerian founders, including those without formal business registration or an established financial track record. Over four weeks, participants will receive intensive training on business fundamentals, investment readiness, and pitch preparation.
The programme combines in-person sessions in Abuja with virtual engagement and one-to-one mentorship. At the end of the programme, eight of the highest-performing founders will receive non-dilutive funding of up to ₦5 million each from Cascador.
They will also receive an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution to help them structure, manage, and scale their businesses. The funding and support will be awarded during a Pitch Day organised by NiYA and FMYD.
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The partnership aims to address the gap between youth skills development and access to practical business opportunities. According to the Minister, “For NiYA, training is only one part of the journey. The real value is in helping young people move from learning to enterprise, from ideas to investable businesses, and from potential to sustainable economic participation.”
Trish Thomas, CEO of Cascador, said the partnership creates a bridge between entrepreneurship training and access to capital. “NiYA and FMYD have already shown what real commitment to Nigeria’s youth looks like — the platforms, the reach, the ambition to train millions,” Thomas said.
In practice, this development means that young entrepreneurs in Nigeria will have a more direct path to securing capital for their businesses, which could lead to increased economic participation and growth.
Oyin Solebo, COO of Cascador, said the programme demonstrates how government-led investment readiness initiatives can be combined with private capital. The pilot is also an early test of a model that could be expanded beyond the initial cohort.
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The initiative forms part of NiYA‘s wider ambition to train and empower 7 million Nigerian youth within two years. All 20 participants who complete the pilot will retain NiYA alumni status and receive priority consideration for future opportunities.
Applications for the programme are scheduled to open on 19 August 2026 through the Nigerian Youth Academy. Cascador has supported 70 companies that have collectively raised more than $125 million since 2019.
It is a step forward.
