Three standout businesses delivering transformative solutions in agriculture, health and clean energy have won Cascador 2025 Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) Prize for Innovation (NPI)
The winners were recognised for their scalable models and measurable impact in underserved communities.
Hosted by the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA), the NPI Demonstration Day is part of a national initiative that identifies and supports high-potential ventures advancing Nigeria’s economic and social development goals.
Ten finalists across the country presented investment-ready businesses to an audience of investors, stakeholders and innovation partners.
As a partner to NSIA in the third edition of the NSIA Prize for Innovation, Cascador awarded $15,000 each to three of the 10 finalists underscoring a shared commitment to supporting mission-driven entrepreneurship and inclusive growth across Nigeria.
These ventures demonstrate how innovation, when rooted in purpose, can drive sustainable impact, Amanda Etuk, Director of Programnes for Cascador, said in a statement.
Among the Cascador Impact winners was PromisePoint, a women-led cassava processor that has trained more than 10,000 smallholder farmers and signed a ₦1bn contract with Nestlé Nigeria.
“Winning the Cascador Prize is not just recognition, it’s validation of our belief that rural women can power Nigeria’s food future,” shared founder Bukola Joy Farinde, ” Etuk stated.
Also recognised was FriendnPal, an AI-powered, multilingual mental health platform tackling affordability and access across the continent.
“We built our platform to serve people like my mother—Africans who deserve dignified, affordable mental health care,” said Esther Eruchie, founder and CEO. “This prize will help us reach more users faster, with deeper impact, ” according to the statement.
D-Olivette was the third honouree, for its AI-powered biodigester systems that convert agricultural waste into clean energy and organic fertilizer. “Nigeria’s waste crisis is actually a clean energy opportunity,” said Tunde Adeyemi, Chief Executive Officer adding that “This recognition from Cascador will help us scale access to biodigesters and clean power for more farms and rural households.”
“These ventures are a blueprint for what’s possible when mission-driven businesses are empowered to scale,” said Trish Thomas, Cascador Co-Director.
“They’re building companies that uplift society, empower individuals, and deliver real results on the ground.”
Chidi Okoro, Cascador Executive Director and a judge for NSIA’s NPI 3.0 competition, emphasised that the common thread among the impact winners was their ability to pair bold innovation with deep social impact.
“Their work not only solves critical. problems, it creates pathways to resilience, inclusion and prosperity.”
“Together, these ventures are reshaping key sectors across Nigeria—creating jobs, delivering essential services and transforming problems into possibility,” the statement added.
The Cascador Prize for Impact is a sub-category in the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority’s Prize for Innovation which is sponsored by Cascador.
