NerdzFactory empowers young innovators through YAI Programme in Lagos, supported by UNDP and Mastercard Foundation to scale youth-led solutions

NerdzFactory Company, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme and the Mastercard Foundation, on Monday empowered young innovators with grants and capacity-building training during the Innovation State Showcase in Lagos.

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The event, themed Youth Innovation as a Driver of State Development, highlighted youth-led solutions addressing key development challenges and showcased how young entrepreneurs are contributing to sustainable state growth.

Speaking at the showcase, Ade Olowojoba, Founding Partner of NerdzFactory Company, described the Young Africa Innovates (YAI) Programme as a flagship initiative to identify, support and scale youth-driven innovations across Nigeria.

“Mastercard Foundation is sponsoring the programme, UNDP will oversee its implementation, and NerdzFactory will provide training for the innovators,” Ade Olowojoba said, emphasising the initiative’s alignment with Lagos State’s development priorities.

Ms Elsie Attafuah, UNDP Resident Representative in Nigeria, praised the creativity and resilience of Nigerian youths, highlighting that breakthrough solutions often emerge from unconventional spaces such as local markets and small workshops.

“Young people are creating tools that address food losses, designing data-driven systems, and producing world-class ideas with minimal resources.

Talent in Nigeria can come from anywhere,” she said, noting that the YAI Programme helps entrepreneurs refine prototypes, validate ideas, and access potential markets.

Lagos State Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment, Folashade Ambrose-Medebem, underscored the state’s commitment to nurturing young innovators through investments in digital infrastructure, startup clusters and supportive policies.

She revealed that over 9,000 applications were received for the programme, from which 205 innovators were selected.

Technical Assistant Akorede Adeboye, speaking for the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Systems, outlined initiatives such as the Lagos Agro-Innovation Club, the Agripreneur Project, and Agrithon grant competitions, which have trained more than 5,000 youths and funded numerous agritech solutions.

Panel discussions moderated by Adefunke Adewale highlighted the challenges young entrepreneurs face, including inflation, poor infrastructure, and limited access to government grants.

Nkiruka Achakpo, Product Owner at Pearmonie, emphasised how digital business intelligence tools can revive struggling microenterprises.

Angelou Ezeilo, Co-President of Ashoka Africa, called for urgent reforms in infrastructure, government support, and integration of change-making skills into school curricula to strengthen Nigeria’s innovation ecosystem.

Bode Roberts, CEO of edtech startup Dataleum, advocated for state-level open innovation and data access policies to enable startups to solve real-world problems in collaboration with government agencies.

Rukayat Bello, CEO of Regxta Global Services, stressed the importance of grassroots support through grants and tech events to empower entrepreneurs in low-income communities.

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The showcase reinforced the critical role of young innovators in driving sustainable development while calling for continued support from government, development partners, and industry leaders.