UNDP Nigeria Digital for Youth-Led Enterprise programme 2025

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Applications are open for UNDP Nigeria Digital for Youth-Led Enterprise programme 2025. This national initiative empowers young innovators passionate about leveraging digital technology to solve pressing challenges in Agriculture, Health, and Education — three of Nigeria’s key development sectors.

Organized by the House of Representatives Committee on Corporate Social Responsibility (CCRS) and fully funded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the programme offers a 5-day, all-expenses-paid training and design sprint in Abuja, Nigeria. Over five immersive days, participants will work in small teams to identify problems, ideate solutions, and build prototype digital products or services that contribute to job creation, GDP growth, and social inclusion.

UNDP Nigeria Digital for Youth-Led Enterprise Programme Objectives

Strengthen the capacity of youth to use design thinking and digital innovation to solve sector challenges.
Inspire youth-led entrepreneurship that drives inclusive economic growth.
Foster collaboration and learning across Agriculture, Health, and Education sectors.
Support the development of prototype digital solutions with potential for incubation, mentorship, and scale-up.

Intended Outcomes

By the end of the programme:

30 youth innovators will gain practical experience in human-centred digital innovation.
6 prototype digital solutions will emerge targeting challenges in Agriculture, Health, and Education.
A new cohort of youth-led innovators will be connected to mentors, investors, and digital ecosystem partners.
Tangible contributions will be made toward Nigeria’s national goals of job creation, GDP growth, and inclusion.

Programme Design

Participants will be divided into six multidisciplinary teams (five members each) — two teams per sector.
Each team will:

Conduct systems analysis to understand challenges and opportunities in their chosen sector;
Define a problem statement;
Ideate and prototype digital solutions;
Test and plan for a potential minimum viable product (MVP).
At the end of the sprint, teams will pitch their prototypes to a review panel. Selected teams will be connected to mentorship, incubation, and potential seed funding opportunities to advance their ideas.

Eligibility Criteria for UNDP Nigeria Digital for Youth-Led Enterprise

Applications are open to Nigerian citizens and residents aged 18–35, including:

Students and recent graduates interested in technology and innovation;
Early-stage entrepreneurs and startup founders;
Professionals and practitioners working in Agriculture, Health, or Education;
Innovators and digital enthusiasts who want to explore how technology can improve lives and livelihoods.

Selection Criteria

Applicants will be evaluated based on:

Originality of ideas – unique insights or approaches to problems in the chosen sector;
Relevance to digital transformation – understanding of how technology can enhance impact;
Feasibility – clarity and practicality of the proposed ideas;
Clarity of problem understanding – strength of evidence and context awareness;
Motivation – personal drive and learning goals;
Diversity – representation across gender, geography, and background.