Cascador and Nigeria’s youth ministry launch funding programme for young founders

Twenty Nigerian founders will get four weeks to work on their businesses, prepare for investors and compete for funding of up to ₦5 million under a new programme from Cascador and the Federal Ministry of Youth Development. The NiYA × Cascador Founders Program is being run through the Nigerian Youth Academy (NiYA), the government’s digital youth platform. Applications open on 19 August 2026. Eight of the 20 founders will receive up to ₦5 million ($3,600) each at the end of the programme. The money is non dilutive, so the founders will not have to hand over equity in their businesses.

A small pilot with money attached

The programme is starting with just 20 founders rather than a large intake. The four week programme will be held in Abuja and will cover business fundamentals, investment preparation and pitching. Founders will also have access to virtual sessions and one on one mentoring. At the end, the participants will pitch their businesses at a NiYA and Federal Ministry of Youth Development event. Eight founders will be chosen for the funding. They will also receive an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution to help manage areas of their businesses such as operations and administration.

Why the funding matters

Getting a business off the ground is one challenge. Finding money to keep it going or grow it is another. Many young founders have started businesses but have limited financial records, little investor experience or no previous funding history. Those gaps can make it harder to approach formal investors. The new programme is built around that stage of the journey. Youth Development Minister Ayodele Olawande said the programme is intended to help young people move beyond training and turn their businesses into companies that can attract capital. “For NiYA, training is only one part of the journey,” Olawande said. Cascador CEO Trish Thomas said the partnership is meant to help founders become better prepared for investment.

The government is handling recruitment

NiYA and the Federal Ministry of Youth Development will be responsible for finding founders, delivering the training and managing the programme. Cascador will help determine who qualifies, run investment readiness sessions, assess the founders’ pitches and provide the funding for the eight winners. The 20 founders who complete the programme will also become NiYA alumni, giving them access to future opportunities through the academy. The pilot is part of NiYA’s wider target of training and empowering seven million Nigerian youths over two years.

Cascador’s bigger founder network

The partnership gives Cascador another way to work with Nigerian entrepreneurs. The company already runs Cascador ScaleUp, which works with growth-stage founders on leadership and strategy. Its alumni can also access the Cascador Catalytic Fund, which Cascador says invests up to $5 million annually through debt and equity. Cascador says it has supported 70 companies since 2019, with those businesses raising more than $125 million collectively. For the 20 founders entering this pilot, the more immediate question is whether four weeks of training and mentoring can help them sharpen their businesses enough to win a place among the eight founders taking home the ₦5 million funding.