A significant funding window has opened for young Nigerians and other African youths, courtesy of a collaborative initiative between the African Union and the European Union. The AU-EU Youth Action Lab has announced a fresh call for proposals, making grants worth up to 51 million naira available to empower youth-led organisations across the continent and in Europe.
Four Pathways to Funding for Young Innovators
The programme is structured around four distinct grant types, each designed to address specific needs and lasting for up to 12 months. This structured approach ensures a wide range of youth initiatives can find support.
The first is the Innovation Grant, aimed at projects that design, test, or scale solutions to global challenges. Individual youth organisations can apply for between 30,000 and 40,000 euros under this category.
Secondly, the Entrepreneurship Grant focuses squarely on strengthening economic prospects for young people. Grants of 30,000 euros are available here for either single organisations or consortiums.
A third stream is the Representation Grant, which specifically targets underrepresented and marginalised youth in Africa. Managed by Restless Development Uganda, these grants aim to enable these groups to drive change within their own communities.
The fourth type is the Cooperation Grant, which encourages direct collaboration between African and European youth bodies. These grants require joint applications from at least two organisations, with projects implemented across both continents to share resources, knowledge, and strategies.
Eligibility and Empowering Youth Voices
The opportunity is not limited to Nigeria. Young people from Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia (Somaliland Region), Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, alongside all EU member states, are eligible to apply. The organisers have stressed that the Youth Action Lab is designed to be "powershifting." This means it goes beyond financial aid to actively empower young people, ensuring their voices and proposed solutions reach and influence policy-makers at the highest levels, including within the AU and EU structures.
A Major Step for Youth-Led Development
This initiative represents a major international opportunity for Nigerian youths and their peers across Africa. It provides a platform to access substantial funding, build cross-continental partnerships, and contribute meaningfully to solving pressing global issues. The announcement confirms that another call for proposals will be launched in the coming year, indicating a sustained commitment to youth empowerment. For eligible young innovators and entrepreneurs, this programme could be the catalyst needed to amplify their impact and drive tangible change.
