NiYA Startup Grant: Young Nigerian Founders Can Access Up to ₦5m
Young Nigerians building innovative businesses have been given a fresh opportunity to take their ventures to the next level through the NiYA Startup Grant.
This is a youth-focused initiative of the Nigerian Youth Academy (NiYA), under the Federal Ministry of Youth Development.
The programme is being implemented in partnership with Cascador and is designed to support early-stage founders with the funding, skills and mentorship needed to transform promising startups into sustainable and investment-ready businesses.
One of the major attractions of the programme is the opportunity for selected founders to receive up to ₦5 million in non-dilutive funding. This means beneficiaries will not be required to give up ownership or equity in their businesses in exchange for the grant.
What founders stand to gain
The NiYA Startup Grant goes beyond providing capital.
Selected entrepreneurs will participate in an intensive four-week development programme designed to strengthen their businesses and prepare them for growth and investment.
The training will cover areas including:
- Business fundamentals and strategy
- Investment readiness
- Pitch development and presentation
- One-on-one mentorship
- Business growth and sustainability
At the end of the programme, the strongest-performing founders will have the opportunity to receive up to ₦5 million each, alongside access to an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution to support more efficient business management and expansion.
Who can benefit?
The initiative is aimed at early-stage Nigerian startup founders with viable business ideas or existing ventures capable of achieving sustainable growth.
Rather than focusing solely on funding, the programme seeks to equip young entrepreneurs with practical tools for managing their businesses, attracting investment and competing in an increasingly challenging market.
For many startups, access to capital is only one part of the problem. Limited business knowledge, weak financial systems, inadequate mentorship and difficulty attracting investors can also prevent promising ventures from reaching their potential.
The NiYA-Cascador programme seeks to tackle some of these challenges by combining funding, training, mentorship and investment-readiness support.
Application status
Applications for the latest round opened on August 19, 2026, through the designated NiYA grant portal.
The Federal Ministry of Youth Development later announced that the application window was nearing its August 26, 2026 deadline.
As of August 28, applicants should confirm the current status on the official portal, as the published deadline has passed and the application window may no longer be active.
The initiative forms part of broader efforts to connect Nigerian youths with opportunities that can turn entrepreneurial ideas into viable businesses, create jobs and contribute to economic growth.
For founders who successfully make the cut, the combination of capital, mentorship and business development support could provide a crucial springboard for taking their startups from the early stages to the next level.
