Nigerian Journal Sustainability Research

How to Apply for the FG's ₦5 Million NiYA × Cascador Founders Programme

2026-08-22
What the Programme Is

The Federal Government has launched the NiYA × Cascador Founders Programme, a new initiative that can put up to ₦5 million into the hands of selected young Nigerian entrepreneurs. It's a partnership between the Nigerian Youth Academy (NiYA), which operates under the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, and Cascador, a private firm. Minister of Youth Development Ayodele Olawande announced the programme on Facebook on Friday, August 14, 2026, describing it as an effort to help young founders become investment-ready and gain real access to capital.

Applications Are Open Now

Applications opened Wednesday, August 19, 2026, through the official Nigerian Youth Academy website (https://niya.gov.ng). If you haven't already applied, you can go there now to check the eligibility requirements, application form, and submission guidelines directly, since the ministry has directed all interested applicants to monitor that platform rather than any third-party channel.

How the Programme Actually Works

This isn't a straightforward cash grant that goes to everyone who applies. It's structured as a pilot cohort programme:

  1. Application stage — Interested early-stage entrepreneurs submit applications through the NiYA platform.
  2. Selection into the cohort — A pilot group of founders (reported as around 20 for this initial cohort) is selected from the applicant pool.
  3. Four-week intensive programme — Selected founders go through structured training covering business fundamentals, investment readiness, pitch preparation, and one-on-one mentorship.
  4. Funding decision — At the end of the four weeks, only the top-performing founders from the cohort receive funding, up to ₦5 million each, provided by Cascador.

Crucially, the ₦5 million is not guaranteed for every applicant, or even every founder accepted into the training cohort. It goes specifically to the top performers identified through the programme's pitch and evaluation process.

What Makes the Funding Different

The money is described as non-dilutive funding, meaning recipients won't have to give up any equity or ownership stake in their business in exchange for it. Beyond the cash, beneficiaries also receive an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution designed to help them structure, manage, and scale their business operations going forward.

Why the Government Says It's Doing This

Olawande framed the initiative as addressing a specific gap: many young entrepreneurs struggle to move from having a business idea or completing entrepreneurship training to actually accessing capital, often because they lack the financial history or professional networks traditionally required to secure investment. "We do not want to stop at training," he said. "We want to build a stronger bridge from learning to enterprise, from ideas to investment readiness, and from potential to sustainable businesses." The partnership followed direct engagement between the ministry and Cascador, including a meeting the minister hosted on April 29.

Don't Confuse This With Other NiYA Programmes

It's worth being careful not to conflate this initiative with other, separate youth entrepreneurship schemes also run under the Nigerian Youth Academy umbrella. NiYA Startup 2.0, for instance, is a separate, broader programme supporting high-potential startups; the ministry says the original NiYA Startup edition drew over 14,000 applications, with just 17 startups ultimately receiving ₦1 million in seed funding plus business support. There's also a separate ₦75 billion figure associated with wider federal youth funding efforts that some coverage has mistakenly conflated with this specific ₦5 million founders programme, they are not the same fund, and applying to one does not mean automatic consideration for the other.

Bottom Line for Applicants

If you're a young, early-stage Nigerian entrepreneur interested in this specific opportunity, your next step is to go directly to the official Nigerian Youth Academy website now, since applications are already open as of August 19. Read the eligibility criteria carefully before applying, and treat the ₦5 million as a competitive prize tied to strong performance in the four-week programme rather than a guaranteed payout for simply being accepted.

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