Table of Contents
TL;DR,
- The NiYA Startup Pitch 1.0 named 17 NiYA tech pitch winners, who shared a $25,000 prize pool to fund their ventures in health, agritech, and AI.
- Ministry-backed and partner-supported, NiYA combines grants, training, and market access across five pillars to turn prototypes into scalable ventures.
- Healthtech and Agritech startups were the most prominent winners, with ventures like Mobile HealthCare Initiative and Agrogrid providing tangible solutions for healthcare access and agricultural efficiency.
Creativity, a yearning for change, and ample problems to solve have spearheaded a new generation of developers throughout Nigeria’s youth. Recently the Nigerian Youth Academy (NiYA) in Abuja held the NiYA Startup Pitch 1.0, identifying 17 ventures building solutions in health, agriculture, mobility, and software. The 17 NiYA tech pitch winners showcased how our youth are actively developing tangible solutions with economic value and a clear signal of AI innovation in Nigeria.
The NiYA Ecosystem for Youth Empowerment
The Federal Ministry of Youth Development, led by the Minister of State for Youth Development, Hon. Ayodele Olawande, in collaboration with Superteam Nigeria, NiYA, and Sapphital, organized the competition. The core aim was to drive innovation-led job creation with the Renewed Hope Agenda as a backbone.
Hon. Ayodele Olawande at the NiYA Tech Startup Pitch 1.0.[imagesource: X]
FOLLOW UP: The Base Effect: How African Startups Secured $20K in Latest Demo Batches
The program, initially launched in March 2025, positioned itself as a national platform with five pillars:
- NiYA Academy
- NiYA Jobs
- NiYA Gigs
- NiYA Community
- NiYA StartUp
Each one is intended to guide young thinkers from learning to earning while pioneering AI innovation in Nigeria.
Meet the NiYA tech pitch winners.
Seventeen youth-led ventures were recognized for their potential to scale and create jobs:
- Trybb Enterprise
- Mobile Healthcare Initiative
- Project Launch Pad
- Agrogrid
- Kedu
- Acheva Technologies Limited (EdTech; result management platform)
- Hebron
- AA Kwakwatawa General Enterprise
- Asoro Automotive
- BoiBoi Technologies
- Smart OPs AI (Artificial Intelligence)
- Smartify
- Charge 24/7 Plugzone (Mobility/EV charging)
- ExportPlug
- Univille Nigeria Limited
- Washup Weekly
- Switched
Healthtech and Agtech Startups Leading the Charge
Among the long list, healthcare startups mainly dominated. For instance, the Mobile HealthCare Initiative stood out for tackling one of Nigeria’s most persistent challenges: healthcare accessibility in underserved communities. Basic medical services are already hard to come by for some insitutees, and these solutions provide practical ways of improving the systems. The ministry steadily emphasized how they showcase “scalable business models and resilience”—qualities that suggest they’ve moved beyond conceptual ideas into functional prototypes or early customer traction.
NiYA Tech Startup Pitch 1.0, a groundbreaking initiative aimed at fueling youth innovation and entrepreneurship across Nigeria.[Photo: X]
FOLLOW UP: Secure $30K Crypto Grant: Build Apps with Coinbase Wallet & Onramp Tools.
Some few added mentions include Smart Ops AI, a clear example of AI innovation in Nigeria. Added frontiers also include BoiBoi Technologies, Smartify, and Switched, which likely incorporate AI elements into their solutions.
Government Backing and Investment Opportunities in Nigerian Tech
Nigeria’s government has recently been on an adoption high. From adopting a new crypto legal framework to accepting its local stablecoin CNGN, its new regime has completely taken a 180-degree turn. Minister Olawande encouraged the young innovators, hinting that Nigeria needs to up its game if it’s ever to dominate Africa’s tech space.
Additionally, this could facilitate more investment opportunities in Nigerian tech startups. Already global organizations like Lisk, Base, and Ethereum have set up shop in what we consider Africa’s leading Web3 developer ecosystem. The Niya Tech pitch winners represent the diverse entry points young developers have. From startups demonstrating viable solutions across healthcare, agriculture, and mobility (like Asoro Automotive and Charge 24/7 Plugzone) and export facilitation (ExportPlug) to education technology (Acheva Technologies Limited).
For NiYa this is only the beginning, with its Youth Academy targeting 7 million young Nigerians over two years. It’s already underway, with its first beneficiaries being six young Nigerians from different geopolitical zones—they received support through a partnership with Providus Bank. The platform has a structured approach with its Academy for skills, Jobs for placement, Gigs for freelance opportunities, Community for networking, and Startup for entrepreneurship.
