Edo Government Announces ₦40m Grant Pool for Youth-Led Ventures at EYIF 2026
The Edo State Government has announced a ₦40 million grant pool for youth-led businesses at the second edition of the Edo Youth Impact Forum (EYIF 2026), as part of efforts to support young entrepreneurs and help promising ventures grow.
The two-day event, held on August 18 and 19 at the Sir Victor Uwaifo Creative Hub in Benin City, brought together young entrepreneurs, government officials, industry leaders and development partners under the theme “Ideas, Capital, Impact.”
According to Mr. Kizito Okpebholo, Team Lead of EYIF 2.0, the programme received 2,388 applications for its youth grant initiative. External judges were reportedly engaged to evaluate applications and select beneficiaries.
The ₦40 million funding package is targeted at businesses at different stages of development. It includes ₦2.5 million for an idea-stage venture, ₦5 million each for three growth-stage businesses, and scale-up grants for two established businesses.
The funding is aimed at helping young founders move beyond ideas and early-stage operations by providing capital that can support product development, business expansion, job creation and other growth activities.
Speaking at the event, Edo State Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. Dennis Idahosa, encouraged beneficiaries to use the grants to build sustainable businesses and create jobs. He also stressed the importance of partnerships between government, private-sector players and young entrepreneurs in creating more opportunities within the state.
Beyond funding, EYIF 2026 featured masterclasses, panel sessions and mentorship opportunities focused on helping participants develop practical skills, understand markets and build networks that can support their businesses.
The Commissioner for Youth Affairs, Hon. Charity Amayaenvbo, said the initiative was built around three pillars — Ideas, Capital and Impact — with the goal of connecting young people and their ideas to the resources and opportunities needed to create economic value.
For Edo’s growing technology and startup ecosystem, initiatives such as EYIF could provide an important bridge between promising ideas and the capital, mentorship and networks required to turn them into viable businesses.
The event ultimately positioned access to capital, skills and market opportunities as key components of the state’s strategy for supporting its next generation of entrepreneurs and innovators.
