The Federal Government has launched a new initiative aimed at providing up to ₦5 million in non-dilutive funding to young Nigerian entrepreneurs in order.

The Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, who stated this on Facebook on Friday, stressed that the programme was designed to help young enterprising Nigerians have access to fund their investment ideas.

The initiative, which is called NiYA × Cascador Founders Programme, is a partnership deal between the Nigerian Youth Academy under the Federal Ministry of Youth Development and Cascador.

The minister explained that selected early-stage entrepreneurs would go through an intensive four-week programme, covering business fundamentals, investment readiness, pitch preparation and one-on-one mentorship.

The top-performing founders, he stated, would get up to ₦5m each in non-dilutive funding from Cascador  at the end of the programme.

He stated further that beneficiaries would equally receive an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution to help them structure, manage and scale their businesses.

The initiative, he stressed, was intended to bridge the gap between training and access to capital for young entrepreneurs, particularly those without the financial history or networks traditionally required to secure funding.

“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,” he stated.

The engagements, according to him, could translate into practical opportunities for Nigerian youths.

Applications for the programme will open on Wednesday, August 19, 2026.