NiYA and Cascador Partner to Launch Programme to Support 20 Nigerian Founders

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

The NiYA × Cascador Founders Program will run for four weeks and target 20 young Nigerian entrepreneurs. Founders who have not formally registered their businesses or established financial records can also apply.

Participants will receive training in business fundamentals, investment readiness and pitch preparation. At the end of the programme, eight top-performing founders will receive up to ₦5 million each in non-dilutive funding from Cascador. Selected businesses will also receive an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution to help manage their operations as they grow.

Training and Funding for 20 Founders

The programme will conclude with a Pitch Day organised by NiYA and the Federal Ministry of Youth Development. Performance during the training and pitch will determine which eight founders receive funding. According to the Ministry, the initiative forms part of NiYA’s wider goal of training and empowering seven million Nigerian youth over two years. The Minister of Youth Development said the programme is intended to connect entrepreneurship training with opportunities to build sustainable businesses.

“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.

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

Cascador Adds Investment Readiness Support

Cascador CEO Trish Thomas said the partnership will help founders move from developing business ideas to becoming ready for investment.

“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, a former Managing Director of the ARM Labs Lagos Techstars Accelerator, said the programme combines government-led entrepreneurship development with private-sector capital. The pilot will take place primarily in Abuja, with 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 through the NiYA website.