Cascador has partnered with Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Youth Development (FMYD) through the Nigerian Youth Academy (NiYA) to help young entrepreneurs build stronger businesses and improve their access to growth capital.
The NiYA × Cascador Founders Program will begin with a pilot cohort of 20 early-stage Nigerian founders. At the end of the four-week programme, eight top-performing founders will each receive up to ₦5 million ($3,600) in non-dilutive funding, meaning they will not have to give up equity in their businesses.
Applications open on August 19 through the NiYA website.
Building Businesses Beyond Training
The programme is designed to address a common challenge for young entrepreneurs: having a business idea or basic training without the structure and investment readiness needed to attract funding.
Participants will receive training in business fundamentals, investment readiness and pitch preparation. The programme will be delivered in person in Abuja, supported by virtual sessions, one-on-one mentorship and practical business development guidance.
The focus will be on helping founders strengthen their business models, improve their operations, sharpen their value propositions and prepare for investment. At the end of the programme, the eight selected founders will also receive an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution to help them organise and manage their businesses.
Speaking on the partnership, Minister of Youth Development Ayodele Olawande said training must be connected to practical economic opportunities. He explained that NiYA aims to help young people move from learning and ideas into investable businesses and sustainable economic participation.
He added that working with Cascador would strengthen the pathway to capital for founders who may not yet have the formal structures or financial history required by traditional funders.
Cascador CEO Trish Thomas said the partnership would help address the gap between having an idea and becoming ready for investment. She noted that NiYA and FMYD had already established platforms and the reach needed to train millions of young Nigerians, while Cascador would bring practical support to help founders become capital-ready.
Supporting Nigeria’s Wider Youth Entrepreneurship Goals
Under the programme, NiYA and FMYD will be responsible for sourcing founders, training and the day-to-day delivery of the initiative. Cascador will help establish eligibility criteria, support investment-readiness training, assess founder pitches and provide funding to the top-performing participants.
The pilot forms part of NiYA’s wider ambition to train and empower seven million Nigerian youths within two years. All 20 founders who complete the programme will retain NiYA alumni status and receive priority consideration for future opportunities.
The initiative also builds on Cascador’s existing work with Nigerian entrepreneurs. Through its Cascador ScaleUp programme, the company supports growth-stage founders in leadership and strategy. Its alumni can also access the Cascador Catalytic Fund, which Cascador says deploys up to $5 million annually through debt and equity investments.
Since 2019, Cascador says it has supported 70 companies that have collectively raised more than $125 million.
The Nigerian government has also increased its support for entrepreneurship and digital businesses. In November 2025, its Investment in Digital and Creative Enterprises (iDICE) programme invested in Ventures Platform’s $64 million first close of its Pan-African Fund II.
For the founders taking part, the immediate opportunity is clear: 8 founders, up to ₦5 million each, and non-dilutive funding, backed by training, mentorship and practical business support. The wider goal is to help more young Nigerians turn early-stage businesses into structured and sustainable enterprises.
