More than half of Nigeria’s population is under 30. In any serious economy, that kind of demographic curve is an advantage because it means a steady supply of ideas, vitality and labour. In Nigeria, a lot of that potential is tied up in survival entrepreneurship. Young Nigerians are running retail outfits, service businesses, small manufacturing and even tech enabled ventures, but they are doing it without patient capital, without structured mentorship and without the visibility that helps a business move from roadside to growth stage. That disconnect between talent and support is not a talent problem. It is an infrastructure problem. Oya Pitch was created to sit in that gap.
Oyapitch Was Created To Change That.
It is a business and investment reality show for real entrepreneurs. The kind of SMEs and MSMEs that already have customers, already know their market, but need a bigger push. On the show, they pitch to Nigerian business leaders and get a shot at actual money, not exposure alone.
“One of the sparks for this project was seeing that many of the founders around us were not experimenting, they were already operating,” said Tobi Olutayo, Chief Commercial Officer at West Power and Gas and co-founder of Tova Studios Limited. “They were running teams, moving inventory, serving real demand, keeping the lights on. What they did not always have was capital, structure, mentorship, the right tools to scale and visibility. So, we built a platform to bring all of that into one place.”
“Nigerians are some of the most resilient business builders anywhere. When you give that kind of entrepreneur a platform, practical guidance and a community to engage with, growth accelerates. And when SMEs grow, they employ more people, formalize their operations and push more value through the supply chain. That is how it begins to show up in the wider Nigerian economy.”
How The Show Works
Each episode brings entrepreneurs into the room with three judges:
They listen, they ask the hard questions, and when a deal is not for them, you will hear the now familiar line, “THIS ONE PASS ME.” It is simply the Nigerian way of saying, I am out on this one, carry on. It keeps the tone light, but the founders still get usable feedback.
Real money, not vibes
Season 1 did not end with promises on camera. It ended with entrepreneurs leaving with real money and no strings attached. No debt. No equity. No long paperwork.
With the support of TandN Group and AJ Skylar Limited, OYAPITCH presented cash to the young entrepreneurs who came on the show to seek funding for their businesses. REDD received a total of three million naira, made up of a two-million-naira cash award and an additional one million naira.
That moment was the proof. This is not just entertainment. It is capital in the hands of Nigerian founders. It is belief made visible. And it is only the beginning.
Why focus on young Nigerians
Nigeria’s youth unemployment numbers look better on paper now because of a new way of counting jobs, but almost everyone agrees the quality of work is still a problem. A lot of young people are self-employed, doing informal gigs or running small businesses without growth capital. That is a vulnerable and often ignored group.
OYAPITCH and the wider Tova Studio ecosystem are targeting that group on purpose. The idea is simple. Find young founders early. Give them visibility. Connect them to investors. Then keep them inside a community where they can learn, collaborate and get seen again. The most vibrant demographic in the country should not also be the most overlooked.
From a show to an EcoSystem
OYAPITCH is the first pilot out of Tova Studios Limited, the media, production and entertainment company founded by Tobi Olutayo and Adewunmi O. Babatunde. The company develops premium African formats that sit where business, culture and technology meet. It produces high quality, social ready video and is building a pipeline of content that brands and investors can plug into.
OYAPITCH is just the entry point. Behind it is a growing ecosystem designed to connect founders to capital, experienced business leaders, market access and ongoing visibility. The ambition is simple. Make it normal for a young Nigerian building an SME to step onto a platform, get clear feedback, meet real investors and scale.
Beyond the content, the platform is built to unlock value for everyone in the chain. Entrepreneurs get visibility, guidance and real pathways to funding. Investors get access to a clearer pipeline of de risked, growth ready Nigerian businesses. The wider economy benefits from SMEs that can actually scale. The entertainment industry gets fresh, aspirational, locally rooted formats that audiences can watch and brands can support. OYAPITCH is not just programming. It is a catalyst.
WATCH EVERY EPISODE ON YOUTUBE: @OYAPITCH
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