When the Federal Government approved the establishment of the N75 billion Nigerian Youth Investment Fund (NYIF), hundreds of thousands young Nigerians were excited about the innovation. They believe it could reduce the increasing unemployment rate, which has been worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic, in the country.
However, most of them are ignorant of how to access the investment fund and the purpose the fund was actually designed to address. Below are steps to access the facility and all you need to know about the scheme.
How to access loan
- Potential beneficiaries are expected to have a fundable business idea.
- Registered business
- Must be a citizen of Nigeria
- Present recognised means of identification and guarantors.
- Also, the Ministry of Youth and Sports claim that the safeguards built around some specifics being crafted around the fund will ensure that potential beneficiaries do not need to know anyone or be “connected” to access the fund.
Note: All processes are handled by the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development.
Who qualifies?
It is meant to cater to the investment needs of those 18-35. An individual and group can apply for the loan.
Who provides fund:
The Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning (MFBNP) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) will provide the financing to kick-start the Nigeria Youth Investment Fund (NYIF).
Loan range
The Loan, whose aim is to meet 500, 000 youths from 2020-2023, ranges approval will range from N250, 000 to N50m with a spread across group applications, individual applications, working capital loan set as one year and term loan set at three years with a single-digit interest rate of 5%.
A minimum of N25 billion each year in the next 3 years, totalling N75billion will be required to ring-fence the NYIF. For the remaining parts of 2020, N12.5 billion will be needed to kick start the NYIF. It is expected that successive governments will keep the fund alive.
Disbursement
It would be disbursed through various channels like Micro Credit Organisations across the country under the Central Bank of Nigeria supported by BOI, Fintech Organisations and Venture Capital Organisations registered with the CBN.
Why it is different
NYIF provides a single-window of Investment Fund for the youth thereby creating a common bucket for all Nigerian youth to access Government support. Providing less cumbersome access to credit and finance for the average Nigerian youth and help lift thousands of the youth out of poverty and birth a whole generation of entrepreneurs.
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Last Wednesday, Nairametrics reported that the Federal Executive Council approved the establishment of a N75 billion NYIF to support enterprise among 68 million Nigerian youths between ages 18 and 35.
The Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, explained that the funds will not just be randomly distributed among youths, but will be used to assist the most qualified ones with genuine business ideas.
“For the first time in the history of Nigeria, the Federal Executive Council today approved the establishment of the Nigerian Youth Investment Fund (NYIF) to the tune of N75 billion,” he said.
He explained that qualified youths who fall within the stipulated age bracket and have genuine business ideas “can approach any of the 125 micro-credit banks across the country to access it.
The minister added that the fund is meant to create a special window for accessing credit facilities and financing on the part of youths that will help to fund their ideas, innovations and also support their enterprise.