NiYA, Cascador Partner to Back Nigeria’s Next Generation of Startup Founders

The Federal Ministry of Youth Development (FMYD), through the Nigerian Youth Academy (NiYA), has partnered with entrepreneurship platform Cascador to support early-stage Nigerian founders with business training, mentorship and access to non-dilutive funding.

The partnership will launch the NiYA × Cascador Founders Program, a pilot initiative targeting 20 young Nigerian entrepreneurs, including founders who may not yet have formally registered businesses or established financial track records.

Participants will undergo an intensive four-week programme covering business fundamentals, investment readiness and pitch preparation. At the end of the programme, the eight highest-performing founders will receive up to ₦5 million each in non-dilutive funding from Cascador.

The selected businesses will also receive an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution designed to help them structure and manage their operations as they scale.

The winners will be selected following a Pitch Day organised by NiYA and the Federal Ministry of Youth Development.

According to the Ministry, the initiative forms part of NiYA’s broader ambition to train and empower seven million Nigerian youth over two years.

The Minister of Youth Development said the programme is intended to move young entrepreneurs beyond training by creating a pathway towards sustainable businesses and access to capital.

“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,” the Minister said.

Under the partnership, NiYA and FMYD will oversee founder sourcing, training and programme delivery, while Cascador will contribute to eligibility criteria, investment-readiness support, pitch assessment and funding.

Cascador CEO Trish Thomas said the collaboration could help bridge the gap between business ideation and capital readiness for young entrepreneurs.

“What we’re building together now is the missing piece, a practical bridge from the ideation stage to real capital-readiness,” Thomas said.

Cascador COO Oyin Solebo, former Managing Director of the ARM Labs Lagos Techstars Accelerator, said the model demonstrates how government-led entrepreneurship development can be combined with private-sector capital.

The pilot will take place primarily in Abuja, supported by virtual sessions and one-on-one mentorship. All 20 participants will become NiYA alumni and receive priority consideration for future opportunities.

Applications are scheduled to open on 19 August 2026, with interested entrepreneurs able to apply through the NiYA website.

Cascador has supported 70 companies since 2019, with participating businesses collectively raising more than $125 million.

//Staff writer