Youth-targeted funding is one of the easiest categories to qualify for — age and a registered business are often the only hard requirements — but the windows are short and the competition fierce. The main programmes:
- CBN Youth Entrepreneurship Support (YES) — Nigeria. Training plus concessional loans for 18–35-year-olds in agriculture, technology, manufacturing, fashion and creative sectors.
- BOI Graduate Entrepreneurship Fund — Nigeria. For NYSC corps members and recent graduates; training followed by funding for the best plans. Full guide.
- Youth Enterprise Development Fund (YEDF) — Kenya. Government loans for youth-owned businesses and groups, from small start-up loans to larger facilities.
- USADF Youth Enterprise Grants — Africa-wide. Grants for youth-led enterprises in agriculture, energy and financial inclusion, usually through country calls.
- Fellowships — Mandela Washington Fellowship and YALI programmes combine training, networks and seed support.
How to win a youth programme
These panels see thousands of nearly identical “I want to start a poultry farm” plans. Stand out with specifics: a pilot you already ran, a real customer, local prices, and a tight use-of-funds table. Have your ID, CAC/registration and bank account ready before the window opens — they close fast.
See what is open now on the Nigeria and Kenya funding pages and use the Application Assistant to draft the answers.
Put this into practice
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