In a testament to Nigeria’s youth-led innovation, the Nigerian Youth Academy (NIYA) Startup 2.0 programme, powered by the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, recently celebrated outstanding young entrepreneurs.
Held in Abuja at the Aso Villa on Tuesday 9 December 2025, the programme awarded ₦1,000,000 grants to each winning startup, alongside mentorship, visibility, and opportunities for strategic partnerships.
Among the standout winners were fellows of the Techparley Drive100, whose journeys to national recognition highlight the transformative power of structured support for early-stage startups.
We spoke to three winners, Martins Osodi of Planmoni, Falade Jerome Olumide of Alutamarket, and Abdullahi Suleiman Ezhin of Triple R Recycling, who were all participants of the Drive100, to explore how the programme has impacted them and what it means for the future of their ventures.
Turning Recognition into Opportunity
Martins Osodi, Founder and CEO of Planmoni, a financial planning app that helps income earners pay themselves in mini-salaries for daily transport, groceries, or other personal goals, credits the programme with significantly boosting the startup’s visibility and scalability.
“The programme has positively impacted our startup in a couple of ways,” Osodi shared. “The visibility we have gained from participating is massive. This has shaped the direction and scalability of our startup.”
According to Osodi, the grant prize is welcome, but what matters most is the credibility that comes with this award. Osodi also emphasised the value of recognition. The recognition, he explained, will open doors to both investors and partnerships, helping Planmoni scale efficiently while reinforcing credibility in the financial tech ecosystem.
“For a prestigious award like this, which is backed and established by the Nigerian government, it goes a long way. This is a big support package. It helps us access further grants and opportunities and boosts customer trust in our platform,” he said.
By connecting Drive100 alumni like Osodi with federal support and strategic networks, the programme ensures that promising startups are not just recognised but equipped to scale efficiently.
From Local Ideas to Scalable Solutions
For Falade Jerome Olumide, founder of Alutamarket, a secure, multi-vendor marketplace for students, the journey from Drive100 fellow to NIYA winner has been transformative.
“The NIYA Startup 2.0 programme has been absolutely transformative for Alutamarket. Before the programme, we had a strong vision, but NIYA provided the structure, mentorship, and validation that sharpened our direction,” Olumide said.
He highlighted that expert guidance helped refine the multi-campus architecture of the platform, enabling it to scale beyond a single university. The ₦1,000,000 grant, he added, is more than funding, it’s a strategic endorsement from the Federal Ministry that validates our mission to empower students economically.
Olumide explained that the funds would support campus expansion, technology upgrades, and hiring key personnel, ensuring the startup’s model is repeatable across Nigeria’s universities.
“Nigerians should expect to see Alutamarket become the go-to economic engine for university campuses across the country. We plan to leverage this incredible recognition from the Ministry to fast-track partnerships,” he added.
Olumide also praised the Drive100 fellowship for equipping him with entrepreneurial discipline and strategic thinking, which he carried into the NIYA programme.
Tackling Social and Environmental Challenges Through Innovation
Abdullahi Suleiman Ezhin, founder of Triple R Recycling, described the impact of the NIYA Startup 2.0 as a turning point for his environmental initiative. Triple R Recycling collects plastic waste from communities, creating earnings for waste gatherers while combating pollution.
“The program has been able to help us solve our long time issue of connecting our recycling facility to the national grid. With the support and funding, we will be able to get rid of the cost of buying diesel for operation, noise pollution, air pollution from the generators smoke. The support also means we will be able to evacuate more wastes from the environment,” Ezhin explained.
He also received ₦1,000,000 in funding, which, combined with mentorship, has increased the visibility of his initiative and helped him join the NIYA gig platform.
According to him, one of the major hurdles was logistics, and moving collected waste efficiently. Ezhin solved this by establishing strategic collection points across communities, significantly improving operations.
Looking ahead, he plans to double collection capacity, create more jobs, and use the recognition from NIYA to attract further support.
The Transformative Impact of Startup Drive100 and NIYA
These success stories demonstrate the effect of the Startup Drive100 fellowship and NIYA Startup 2.0 programme.
Drive100 provided young entrepreneurs with the visibility, foundational skills, strategic insights, and networks necessary to thrive in Nigeria’s competitive startup ecosystem. NIYA, in turn, amplified these efforts through funding, mentorship, and national recognition, creating a springboard for growth and credibility.
By supporting young innovators, experts say these programmes not only nurtures scalable solutions but also fosters economic empowerment and social impact across Nigeria.
As Osodi, Olumide, and Ezhin’s journeys show, structured support combined with mentorship and national recognition can turn ambitious ideas into ventures that transform communities, industries, and the Nigerian economy.
Talking Points
It is impressive that Startup Drive100 alumni, through the NIYA Startup 2.0 programme, have turned early-stage ideas into solutions with tangible social and economic impact.
At Techparley, we see how the combination of mentorship, visibility, and grant funding equips young innovators to scale their ventures beyond their immediate communities, bridging the gap between concept and sustainable execution.
Startups like Planmoni, Alutamarket, and Triple R Recycling demonstrate how targeted support can amplify both reach and credibility. Recognition from a federal initiative not only validates their work but also opens doors to partnerships, further funding, and investor interest.
As these startups grow, the combination of visibility, funding, and guidance positions them to become catalysts for economic empowerment, environmental responsibility, and youth-driven innovation across Nigeria.
With the right guidance and recognition, these startups are well-positioned to shape the country’s emerging startup ecosystem.
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