Ndani🪡🧵 @Ndanie7 - Twitter Profile

PRESS RELEASE Federal Ministry of Youth Development Partners with Cascador to Launch NiYA × Cascador Founders Programme @fmydNG , through the @OfficialNiya_Ng , is partnering with Cascador to launch the NiYA × Cascador Founders Programme, a new initiative that will prepare young Nigerian entrepreneurs for investment and provide up to ₦5 million each in non-dilutive funding to top-performing young founders. This partnership is the direct outcome of the Ministry’s engagements with Cascador, including the follow-up meeting hosted on 29 April, where the Ministry explored how Cascador’s experience supporting Nigerian entrepreneurs could align with the broader youth development agenda. What began as a conversation around the table has now become a practical opportunity for young Nigerians. Under the pilot programme, selected early-stage youth founders will undergo an intensive four-week programme covering business fundamentals, investment readiness, pitch preparation and one-on-one mentorship. At the end of the programme, the top-performing founders will each receive up to ₦5 million in non-dilutive funding from Cascador, alongside an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution to help them structure, manage and scale their businesses. For the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, engagements must ultimately translate into opportunities that young Nigerians can see, access and benefit from. Meetings are necessary, but the real measure of engagement is what comes out of them. When the Ministry engages with the private sector, development partners and investors, the objective is to build relationships that can unlock opportunities for Nigerian youth. This partnership also advances the philosophy behind NiYA. The initiative goes beyond training by building a stronger bridge from learning to enterprise, ideas to investment readiness, and potential to sustainable businesses. The programme recognises that many talented young Nigerians are at an early stage of their entrepreneurial journey and may not yet have access to the financial resources, networks and opportunities required to attract investment. By providing targeted support, mentorship and access to non-dilutive funding, the initiative seeks to give promising young founders a stronger platform to develop, grow and build sustainable businesses. Applications open Wednesday, 19 August 2026, through https://t.co/1Y4nuwQJSL.