Oritsegbubemi Omatseyin
Lagos — In a major boost to youth entrepreneurship, Nigeria and Japan have launched a strategic venture capital initiative that will channel Naira-denominated investments into high-growth startups, shielding them from currency risks while unlocking access to long-term concessional financing.
The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, met with officials from the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority, NSIA, and the Japan International Cooperation Agency, JICA, to finalise the framework of the fund, which has now received formal approval from the Japanese government.
Edun welcomed the development, calling it a timely response to Nigeria’s youthful demography.
This fund provides critical financial backing across the capital structure—from equity to debt—and is aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda for inclusive economic growth, he stated.
NSIA CEO Aminu Umar-Sadiq confirmed that the initiative satisfies two key conditions set by the Minister: mitigating foreign exchange volatility by investing in Naira and securing first-loss or grant capital to de-risk private investment.
“With JICA’s support, this is not just a proposed solution—it’s a fully approved, ready-to-launch initiative,” Umar-Sadiq said.
JICA Director General, Takao Shimokawa announced that diplomatic agreements would be signed within weeks, with full implementation expected thereafter.
By combining international concessional financing with domestic currency stability, the fund marks a new model for venture capital in Africa, aimed squarely at empowering the next generation of Nigerian innovators.
