This study examines the role of youth-led renewable start-ups in driving sustainable wealth creation in Nigeria, a country facing persistent energy poverty and high youth unemployment despite abundant renewable energy resources. Using an ex-post facto research design, secondary data spanning 1981–2023 were sourced from national and international databases, including the National Breue of Statistics (NBS) and World Bank. Econometric analyses—comprising the Augmented Dickey-Fuller unit root test, Johansen co-integration, and Granger causality tests—were employed to explore the relationships between sustainable wealth creation and key determinants: innovation, strategic intelligence, financial intelligence, market size, and management quality. Results reveal that most variables are stationary at first difference, with three co-integrating equations indicating long-term relationships. Granger causality analysis confirms that innovation, financial intelligence, and management quality significantly drive sustainable wealth creation, underscoring the critical roles of creativity, funding access, and managerial expertise in youth-led renewable ventures. The findings suggest that scaling youth participation in renewable energy entrepreneurship can simultaneously address energy access deficits, reduce unemployment, and foster economic resilience. The study recommends expanding access to finance through targeted youth-friendly funding mechanisms, strengthening technical and managerial skills development, streamlining regulatory frameworks, enhancing rural infrastructure, and promoting innovation via applied research collaborations. By implementing these measures, Nigeria can leverage its youthful population as a catalyst for inclusive, climate-resilient, and sustainable economic growth through renewable energy entrepreneurship.

Keywords: Youth entrepreneurship, renewable energy, SMEs, sustainable wealth creation, Nigeria, Granger causality, co-integration