Nigerian food chain Sooyah Bistro has rewarded emerging entrepreneurs with over ₦500,000 through its Sooyah Dreams campaign, reinforcing the growing role of private brands in supporting grassroots business development. The initiative, which ran from September 1 to 15, 2025, invited Nigerians to submit short videos expressing their business dreams, with selected finalists honoured at an event in Oniru, Lagos.
Victoria Orleans emerged as the Grand Winner, receiving ₦250,000 to invest in her poultry venture and educational project for special needs and underprivileged children. Second-place winner Nwokolo Blessing, a private chef committed to redefining culinary innovation, received ₦150,000. Additional participants were presented with consolation prizes and gift packages valued at ₦100,000.
Sooyah Bistro’s founder, in her remarks, noted that the campaign was born from her own entrepreneurial journey and the belief that small ideas deserve a chance to grow. She described Sooyah Dreams as more than a financial intervention, calling it a “permission to dream bigger, louder, and without fear.”
For participants like Victoria and Blessing, the support represents both capital and validation at a time when many young business owners struggle with funding gaps. Orleans said the award makes her long-term goals “suddenly possible,” while Blessing highlighted how a single boost can shift a small enterprise from survival to expansion.
By directly investing in young business owners, Sooyah Bistro joins a small but growing circle of local brands offering targeted funding programmes outside traditional grants and bank loans. The campaign’s emphasis on storytelling and ambition underscores a broader trend where consumer brands are becoming early-stage backers of future MSMEs.
The event ended with a pledge from Sooyah Bistro to sustain initiatives that merge business growth with community impact, creating a support system for aspiring entrepreneurs often overlooked by formal institutions.
