Nigeria, a nation with a vibrant and diverse population, stands at a pivotal juncture in its developmental journey. With approximately 60% of its population under the age of 25, Nigeria is home to a significant youth demographic poised to drive the nations future. By 2050, it is projected that Nigeria will be one of the most populous countries in the world, emphasizing the urgency to harness this youthful energy productively.  Despite this demographic dividend, significant challenges exist in ensuring that this growing youth population finds dignified and meaningful work. Fluctuating economic growth, poverty, and high unemployment rates remain major hurdles. While opportunities exist to tap into the innovative spirit of Nigerians who have the capacity and intent to solve local problems and create pathways for economic prosperity, the complexity of the nation—spanning 36 States, the FCT, and 6 geo-political zones—means that a wide array of differentiated challenges and development objectives exist across localities. There is a strong demand for contextualized, pragmatic, local solutions executed by local innovators. In response to this complex development challenge, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Mastercard Foundation have collaboratively launched the Young Africa Innovates (YAI) Programme in Nigeria. This 2.5-year initiative aims to catalyze youth-led innovations that drive employment, with an ethos rooted in inclusivity to ensure innovators from all backgrounds, especially those traditionally marginalized, are empowered. The YAI programme targets population groups described as traditionally marginalized, which fall into one or more of these categories: rural, low English literacy, lack of experience in receiving funding, and absence of a formal track record (e.g., bank accounts or registered businesses). These groups, alongside young women and persons with disabilities, are key target demographics. The programme focuses on identifying, incubating, and scaling innovations across Nigeria over two cohorts. It aims to identify a minimum of 5,000 innovations, provide capacity support to at least 2,500, and incubate 300 (offering financial and long-term capacity support). YAI is concluding implementation in the following States with the respective sectoral focus and target groups of innovators: