UNDP Nigeria Accelerator Lab

We use strategic innovation to tackle development challenges for vulnerable populations, recently in climate action, energy, and inclusive growth spaces.

The Nigeria Lab’s portfolio covers system level support to public and private sector innovation ecosystems, experimentation on climate adaptation to transform food systems and exploration of key trends which harness strategic innovation, digitalization, and development financing. 

The Lab is supporting innovation ecosystems across the country in addressing key challenges, incubating, financing, and scaling viable solutions. It is working with the MasterCard Foundation, regional innovation collectives, and public sector partners to achieve this. We are also mapping local environmental solutions and supporting community ownership of environmental initiatives with the Global Environmental Facility Small Grants Programme.

In addition, the Lab ran climate resilience experiments in Benue State showing that crop output on average doubled when small holder farmers were equipped with weather data and climate smart training. We tested a partnership model working with farming communities, government agencies, academia, and an agro-innovation hub on this experiment. The Lab is now working on integrating insights from this learning cycle into government policy and ongoing projects.

We surfaced opportunities to leverage the fintech ecosystem for accelerated achievement of the SDGs and surfaced linkages between fintech and resilience systems in driving the adoption of alternative energy sources in the country.