By Aderonke Ojo
The Chief Executive Officer of Sapphittal, Mr. Amu Ogbeide, has reiterated the company’s unwavering commitment to empowering young Nigerians through innovation and entrepreneurship under the Nigerian Youth Academy (NiYA) initiative.
Sapphittal serves as the technical and implementing partner to the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, working closely with the Honourable Minister of Youth Development, Hon. Ayodele Olawande, to create sustainable opportunities for Nigerian youth.
Speaking during the launch of NiYA Startup Phase 1.0 in Abuja, Mr. Ogbeide described the project as part of a broader youth empowerment ecosystem designed to train, fund, and mentor young innovators across the country
“Sapphittal is the technical and implementing partner to the Federal Ministry of Youth Development. Together with the Honourable Minister, we have built an ecosystem called the Nigerian Youth Academy,” he said.
He explained that the academy comprises several interconnected platforms — including NiYA Home, a Job Portal, and the NiYA Startup Hub — all designed to support young Nigerians with learning, employment, and entrepreneurship opportunities.
“What you witnessed today is one of our startup competitions, where we went out across the country to identify young Nigerians with brilliant business ideas. We are providing them with mentorship, digital tools, and some seed funding to help them thrive,” he said.
Mr. Ogbeide noted that the NiYA Startup Phase 1.0 selected 17 young Nigerians from diverse backgrounds whose business ideas showed promise and innovation. He emphasized that the selection process was transparent, credible, and completely merit-based, involving independent judges drawn from across the country.
“I must say this very clearly — we do not know any of the 17 beneficiaries. Neither I nor the Honourable Minister had any influence on the process. The judges did not see names or localities; they only assessed the ideas. It was a fair and objective process,” he stressed.
The CEO explained that the initiative welcomed business ideas from all sectors, reflecting Nigeria’s diversity and creativity.
“We told Nigerians to bring their ideas — whether in health, environment, or technology. One participant even came up with a ‘boy-boy technology’ concept to digitalize how errands are run in Nigeria. We are a nation full of ideas; what we need is a system that helps those ideas thrive,” Ogbeide said.
He further highlighted that the next phase of the programme will focus on helping the selected entrepreneurs grow their businesses with access to digital tools, mentorship, and additional funding opportunities.
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We are giving them digital tools, website builders, and funding support to go back to their communities and start building. We’ll monitor their progress and, in the next phase, select more participants for higher levels of support,” he explained.
According to him, the NiYA Startup 2.0 will expand to include targeted competitions for both male and female entrepreneurs, ensuring inclusivity and broader participation across Nigeria
“This is just the beginning — this is NiYA Startup 1.0. Watch out for 2.0. We will do special editions for female founders, for male innovators, and we’ll keep going. The Honourable Minister has given us the mandate to reach every young Nigerian and bring partners together to make this work,” Ogbeide stated.
He commended Honourable Ayodele Olawande for his passion and leadership in driving youth development initiatives and ensuring fairness, accountability, and transparency in the process
“ Nigeria belongs to all of us,” Ogbeide concluded. “It’s time we start doing things properly — with fairness, transparency, and purpose. Under the Minister’s leadership, we will continue to drive the growth and empowerment of Nigerian youth across all sectors.”