SMEDAN Launches BRYNE, Targets 100,000 Young Nigerian Entrepreneurs Annually
The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) has introduced a new entrepreneurship programme designed to support more than 100,000 young Nigerians each year.
The initiative, known as the Building Resilient Young Nigerian Entrepreneurs (BRYNE) project, is aimed at helping young people develop sustainable businesses and create employment opportunities.
SMEDAN Director-General, Charles Odii, announced the programme as part of activities marking International Youth Day 2026.
According to Odii, BRYNE is designed to provide practical support to young Nigerians at different stages of their entrepreneurial journeys.
The programme will bring together several forms of business support, including enterprise training, incubation, mentorship, access to finance, market opportunities and business development assistance.
How SMEDAN’s BRYNE programme will support entrepreneurs
Odii explained that the initiative is intended to give young entrepreneurs access to opportunities that can help them establish and grow sustainable businesses.
He said the programme would combine training and incubation with financing, mentorship and access to markets.
The SMEDAN director-general said the ultimate objective was to help more young Nigerians build viable businesses capable of generating employment.
Four channels to deliver BRYNE support
The agency’s Head of Women and Youth Unit, Bimpe Fawale, said BRYNE would operate through four major channels.
According to her, the initiative would reach young entrepreneurs through communities, tertiary institutions and digital platforms.
One of the channels is the SMEDAN Incubation Programme, which is expected to support about 600 young entrepreneurs annually.
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The incubation programme will cover areas including fashion, agriculture, woodwork and other business sectors.
Another component, the Campus Enterprise Engagement Platform, will focus on student entrepreneurs.
It will provide practical workshops, business advisory sessions, networking opportunities and exhibitions designed to help students develop and showcase their businesses.
BRYNE targets thousands of students
Fawale said the campus-focused component could reach as many as 3,000 participants in each participating tertiary institution.
The programme is intended to expose students to practical entrepreneurship knowledge while providing opportunities to connect with other entrepreneurs, advisers and potential markets.
By focusing on tertiary institutions, SMEDAN hopes to encourage more young Nigerians to develop entrepreneurial skills before or alongside entering the wider labour market.
BRYNE Digital Connect to expand market access
Another component, known as BRYNE Digital Connect, will use digital platforms to provide entrepreneurship education and promote innovation.
The platform is also expected to help youth-led businesses connect with wider markets.
SMEDAN said the digital approach would make it possible for more young entrepreneurs to access business information and opportunities beyond their immediate communities.
Weekly startup hackathon to offer funding
The initiative will also feature a weekly startup hackathon aimed at providing business education and enterprise opportunities to 5,000 young entrepreneurs.
As part of the programme, 52 selected winners will receive N250,000 each in seed funding, with one winner expected to be selected every week.
The funding component is intended to provide early-stage entrepreneurs with capital that can help them develop or expand their business ideas.
SMEDAN targets sustainable youth businesses
Through BRYNE, SMEDAN is seeking to address some of the challenges young entrepreneurs face, including limited access to business training, mentorship, finance and markets.
The agency’s approach combines these areas rather than focusing solely on financial assistance.
By bringing training, incubation, mentorship, market access and funding together, the programme is expected to provide young Nigerians with multiple pathways for developing their businesses.
The initiative comes amid continued efforts to strengthen youth entrepreneurship and encourage the creation of small businesses and employment opportunities across Nigeria.
