The Federal Ministry of Youth Development has announced that 17 youth-led startups have emerged beneficiaries of the maiden NiYA StartUp Pitch 1.0, underscoring the government’s determination to transform youth-driven innovation into tangible economic impact. The initiative, anchored under the Nigerian Youth Academy (NiYA), provides a national platform enabling young entrepreneurs to access mentorship, investment, and strategic partnerships.
The selected ventures span multiple sectors—including technology, health, agriculture, mobility, and professional services—with startups such as Trybb Enterprise, Mobile HealthCare Initiative, Project Launch Pad, Agrogrid, Kedu, Acheva Technologies Limited, Asoro Automotive, Smart OPs AI, BoiBoi Technologies, Smartify, Charge 24/7 Plugzone, ExportPlug, Univille Nigeria Limited, Washup Weekly, and Switched showcasing scalable and resilient business models.
The Ministry described the achievement as evidence of growing national confidence in youth-led enterprises and a vital step in building a robust pipeline of job creators. It reiterated that NiYA is designed to transition young Nigerians “from learning to earning” through its integrated ecosystem—NiYA Gigs, NiYA Jobs, NiYA Academy, and NiYA StartUp—which collectively promote skill acquisition, market access, and financial inclusion.
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According to the Honourable Minister for Youth Development, while the initial cohort may seem modest in size, it marks the foundation of a broader ambition to expand opportunity across Nigeria’s innovation landscape. He emphasised that NiYA StartUp Pitch 1.0 represents more than a competition—it is a collaborative movement engaging public institutions, private investors, and regulators such as the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which has already expressed readiness to support subsequent cohorts.
Earlier in March 2025, six young innovators from different geopolitical zones received initial support during NiYA’s official launch, in partnership with Providus Bank. With 17 additional startups now onboarded, the Ministry is positioning NiYA as a national innovation hub capable of nurturing youth-founded enterprises into globally competitive brands.
Through sustained investment in platforms like NiYA, the Ministry aims to empower a new wave of entrepreneurs whose innovative solutions can boost productivity, strengthen local industries, and create new value chains for micro, small, and medium-scale enterprises across Nigeria’s economy.
