The Ministry of Cooperatives and Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Development has urged all applicants of the NYOTA Youth Empowerment Programme to attend the scheduled physical validation exercise on Friday, October 24.
In a statement on Thursday, October 23, Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya said the exercise is designed to ensure transparency and fairness in the selection process by confirming the authenticity of applicants and their qualifications for the programme.
He explained that the verification process will cover key personal and demographic details to establish eligibility and readiness among participants.
"The physical validation exercise, therefore, seeks to confirm the authenticity and eligibility of applicants, ensuring that only genuine and qualified youth are selected to benefit.
"The process will verify key details such as residency, education level, employment status, gender distribution, and disability, while also confirming that applicants are available to participate fully throughout the project cycle," the statement read.
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Oparanya noted that the exercise will be a one-time event and only those who attend in person will be considered for final selection.
"Only those who present themselves physically for the validation will be deemed responsive and eligible for selection, and there will be no repeat exercise thereafter," the statement continued.
Oparanya further noted that completion of the Entrepreneurship Aptitude Test (EAT) remains a crucial requirement for the final shortlist.
He said the test, which evaluates business readiness and innovation capacity, can be taken during the validation process.
"The Entrepreneurship Aptitude Test (EAT) remains a mandatory requirement for final selection into the Business Support component. Youth who have not yet taken the EAT will be allowed to undertake it on-site during the validation. To take the test, applicants should send the word NYOTA to 40270 and follow the SMS prompts to complete all 19 questions.
"The test is free of charge, can be done on any mobile phone, and is available in multiple languages. The deadline for completing the test is Friday, 24th October 2025, at 12:00 PM," the statement added.
Oparanya called on all applicants to take the validation exercise seriously, stressing that attendance and participation are compulsory for those seeking to benefit from the initiative.
"All applicants are encouraged to attend the validation exercise in their respective constituency headquarters as scheduled. Attendance and completion of the EAT are compulsory for consideration," the statement further read.
Oparanya added that once the verification process is complete, the ministry will conduct a thorough review of the data and test results before announcing the successful beneficiaries.
He confirmed that shortlisted youth will then proceed to the induction and training phase in preparation for the business start-up stage of the programme.
"Once the physical validation exercise concludes, the NYOTA project team will analyse the results and Entrepreneurship Aptitude Test performance reports over a three-day review period.
"The final list of successful beneficiaries will then be announced, followed by induction and training sessions to prepare the successful applicants for the business start-up phase," the statement concluded.
On Tuesday, October 21, NYOTA said all selected youth must complete EAT, which is a vital step in assessing their entrepreneurial abilities and readiness for the next phase of the program.
"The next step before the Validation Exercise on 24 October 2025, selected youth should undertake the Entrepreneurship Aptitude Test, which is a key step in assessing entrepreneurial skills.
"Send the word NYOTA to 40270 and follow the prompts to complete the EAT," the organization announced.
To successfully complete the process, applicants are required to activate promotional messages by dialing *100*5*2*5*1#, send the word ‘NYOTA’ to 40270, and then follow the prompts to select their preferred language before answering all questions sent via SMS.
NYOTA reminded applicants to use the same mobile number they registered with during their application to ensure seamless processing and completion of the test.
The organization further clarified that the test is free of charge and can be undertaken using either a smartphone or a basic feature phone.
Once an answer has been submitted, it cannot be changed, and each participant is only allowed to take the test once.
The test typically takes between 15 to 30 minutes to complete, depending on response speed and network conditions.
NYOTA also assured participants that those whose phones go off or lose connection during the process can continue the test from where they left off once their device is back on, as long as they use the same SIM card.
