FMYD, NiYA PARTNER CASCADOR TO CONNECT YOUNG NIGERIAN FOUNDERS TO CAPITAL
Oru Leonard
The Federal Ministry of Youth Development (FMYD), through the Nigerian Youth Academy (NiYA), has partnered with Cascador, a Nigeria-focused platform for growth-stage founders, to equip young Nigerian entrepreneurs with investment-readiness skills and improve their access to capital.
The partnership, announced as part of activities marking the 2026 International Youth Day, themed “Different Contexts, Common Aspirations,” is designed to create a practical pathway for young Nigerians to transition from skills development and business ideas to investment-ready enterprises and sustainable economic participation.
Minister of Youth Development, Comrade Ayodele Olawande, said the initiative reflects the Federal Government’s commitment to expanding youth empowerment beyond training to include entrepreneurship, enterprise development and access to finance.
According to him, the partnership would help young entrepreneurs move from learning and ideation to building viable businesses capable of attracting investment.
“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,” Olawande said.
He added that the partnership would particularly benefit young founders who may not yet have the formal structures or financial history traditionally required to secure funding.
Eight founders to receive up to N5m each
Under the NiYA × Cascador Founders Programme, a pilot cohort of 20 early-stage Nigerian youth founders will undergo an intensive four-week programme covering business fundamentals, investment readiness and pitch preparation.
The programme will also feature virtual engagements and one-on-one mentorship sessions to prepare participants to effectively present and scale their businesses.
At the end of the programme, the eight top-performing founders will each receive up to N5 million in non-dilutive funding from Cascador, alongside an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution to support the structuring, management and scaling of their businesses.
The programme will culminate in a Pitch Day organised by NiYA and FMYD, where participants will present their businesses before a panel of judges.
Olawande said the pilot was part of NiYA’s broader ambition of training and empowering seven million Nigerian youths within two years, while creating a stronger connection between youth skills development, entrepreneurship, business growth and access to finance.
He said the initiative was deliberately structured as a model that could be expanded beyond the pilot cohort.
“If young founders can be identified early, prepared properly, connected to credible capital and supported to build stronger business systems, then access to opportunity becomes less dependent on background or existing networks,” he said.
The Chief Executive Officer of Cascador, Trish Thomas, said the initiative would create a practical bridge between the ideation stage and access to capital.
Thomas said Cascador was pleased to partner with FMYD and NiYA because of the Ministry’s commitment to expanding opportunities for young Nigerians.
Similarly, the Chief Operating Officer of Cascador and former Managing Director of the ARM Labs Lagos Techstars Accelerator, Oyin Solebo, described the partnership as an innovative approach to supporting young entrepreneurs.
Solebo said the collaboration would combine government-led investment-readiness efforts with non-dilutive funding at a critical stage of business development.
Under the partnership, FMYD and NiYA will oversee participant sourcing, training and day-to-day programme delivery, while Cascador will support the development of eligibility criteria, investment-readiness preparation, pitch judging and funding for the top-performing participants.
The pilot programme will be delivered physically in Abuja, complemented by virtual engagements and one-on-one mentorship sessions.
All 20 participants who successfully complete the programme will retain NiYA alumni status, with priority consideration for future opportunities under relevant NiYA initiatives.
Applications for the programme are scheduled to open on Wednesday, August 19, 2026.
Interested young Nigerian entrepreneurs are expected to visit www.niya.gov.ng for eligibility requirements, further information and application details.
