SMEDAN
The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria has launched a new entrepreneurship programme designed to support more than 100,000 young Nigerians annually as the Federal Government seeks to strengthen youth participation in the economy.
The initiative, known as the Building Resilient Young Nigerian Entrepreneurs Project, was unveiled as part of SMEDAN’s activities to mark International Youth Day 2026.
The programme will combine enterprise training, incubation, mentorship, access to finance, market opportunities and business development support through physical and digital platforms.
The agency said the initiative was designed to address one of the major challenges confronting young entrepreneurs, the difficulty of accessing the right support at different stages of developing a business.
The Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of SMEDAN, Charles Odii, revealed this in a statement issued by the agency’s Corporate Affairs Unit on Friday.
Odii said the programme would provide practical pathways for young Nigerians with business ideas and existing enterprises.
“The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria has announced the Building Resilient Young Nigerian Entrepreneurs Project, a new initiative to expand entrepreneurship support for young Nigerians across the country.
“The programme is expected to reach more than 100,000 young Nigerians annually through a combination of physical and digital interventions.
“Across the country, we meet young people with ideas, skills and businesses that can grow, but many still struggle to find the right support at the right time. BRYNE brings several of those opportunities together, from training and incubation to finance, markets and mentorship.
“We want more young Nigerians to have a fair chance to build businesses that can survive, grow and create jobs,” Odii said.
The Head of SMEDAN’s Women and Youth Unit, Deputy Director Bimpe Fawale, said BRYNE would be implemented through four major channels to take enterprise support closer to young Nigerians in communities, tertiary institutions and online.
Under the SMEDAN Incubation Programme, 600 young entrepreneurs will receive support annually in sectors including fashion, woodwork and agriculture. The initiative will leverage the agency’s network of Industrial Development Centres across the country.
The Campus Enterprise Engagement Platform will also be implemented in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Education to take entrepreneurship support directly to tertiary institutions.
The platform will provide practical business workshops, advisory sessions, networking opportunities and exhibitions for student-owned businesses, with up to 3,000 participants targeted per participating campus.
The BRYNE Digital Connect will provide entrepreneurship education through digital platforms while promoting innovation, youth-led businesses and grassroots enterprises. It will also seek to connect entrepreneurs with wider markets and build online enterprise communities.
Another major component is a weekly startup hackathon targeting 5,000 young entrepreneurs. Fifty-two winners will be selected, with each receiving N250,000 in seed funding.
Fawale said the programme was structured to accommodate entrepreneurs according to their specific needs and stages of development.
“Some need help turning an idea into a business. Others already have businesses but need finance, mentorship, better market access or the right information to take the next step.
“BRYNE is designed to meet young entrepreneurs at those different stages and connect them to practical support,” she said.
SMEDAN said beneficiaries would also be linked to business formalisation, funding, mentorship, investors, markets, business information and export opportunities through the agency and its partners.
The agency said the programme was part of its broader effort to equip young Nigerians to establish sustainable businesses, expand existing enterprises and create jobs.
