The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) has launched a new entrepreneurship initiative targeting more than 100,000 young Nigerians annually with training, mentorship, access to finance, market opportunities and business development support.
The initiative, known as the Building Resilient Young Nigerian Entrepreneurs (BRYNE) Project, was announced as part of SMEDAN’s activities to mark International Youth Day 2026.
According to a statement issued by SMEDAN’s Corporate Affairs Unit, the programme will combine physical and digital interventions to support young Nigerians at different stages of entrepreneurship.
Charles Odii, Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of SMEDAN, said the initiative was designed to address the challenges faced by young people with business ideas and existing enterprises.
“Across the country, we meet young people with ideas, skills and businesses that can grow, but many still struggle to find the right support at the right time,” Odii said.
He said BRYNE would bring together opportunities in training, incubation, finance, market access and mentorship to enable more young Nigerians to establish sustainable businesses and create jobs.
Bimpe Fawale, Deputy Director and Head of SMEDAN’s Women and Youth Unit, said the programme would be implemented through four major channels aimed at reaching young entrepreneurs in communities, tertiary institutions and online.
Under the SMEDAN Incubation Programme (SIP), the agency plans to support 600 young entrepreneurs annually in sectors including fashion, woodwork and agriculture.
The programme will leverage SMEDAN’s network of Industrial Development Centres across the country to provide enterprise development support to beneficiaries.
According to the statement, another component, the Campus Enterprise Engagement Platform, will be implemented in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Education to extend entrepreneurship support to tertiary institutions.
The platform will provide practical business workshops, advisory sessions, networking opportunities and exhibitions for student-owned businesses, with up to 3,000 participants targeted per participating campus.
The BRYNE Digital Connect (BDC) will provide entrepreneurship education through digital platforms while promoting discussions around innovation and business growth.
The platform will also showcase youth-led and grassroots businesses, connect entrepreneurs to wider markets and create online communities focused on enterprise development.
SMEDAN will also introduce a weekly hackathon for young startups, providing business education and enterprise opportunities to 5,000 young entrepreneurs.
Under the initiative, 52 selected winners will receive N250,000 each in seed funding, with one winner selected every week.
Fawale said the different components of BRYNE were designed to address the varying needs of young entrepreneurs depending on their stage of business development.
“Some need help turning an idea into a business. Others already have businesses but need finance, mentorship, better market access or the right information to take the next step,” she said.
She said the programme would connect young entrepreneurs with practical support suited to their individual needs.
Beyond training and seed funding, SMEDAN said beneficiaries would also be linked to opportunities for business formalisation, funding, mentorship, investor and market linkages, business information and export support through the agency and its partners.
The agency said BRYNE builds on its broader efforts to increase the participation of young Nigerians in the economy by providing promising entrepreneurs with the tools and support needed to build, sustain and expand their businesses.
SMEDAN said the programme would provide a structured pathway for young Nigerians to move from business ideas and early-stage ventures to sustainable enterprises capable of creating jobs and contributing to economic growth.
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