Nigeria has a significant youth demographic, with over 60% of the population being under the age of 25. This group encounters persistent unemployment, skills deficiencies, and restricted opportunities for civic engagement. Digital social innovation platforms offer potential scalable solutions; however, there is a lack of rigorous evaluations conducted on these platforms. This study evaluates the Youth Agency Marketplace (YOMA), a platform incubated by UNICEF that integrates micro-learning, tokenised incentives, and community projects.
It employs Zimmerman’s three-dimensional empowerment theory to investigate the extent to which participation in YOMA predicts self-efficacy, skills development, and social impact among Nigerian youth. Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory, which explains the mechanisms linking platform engagement to self-efficacy, further supports the study’s empowerment lens.
The researcher used a quantitative, cross-sectional survey design. A sample of 399 active users, aged 18–35, was randomly selected from YOMA’s database, representing Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones. The researcher used a digital survey to collect demographic data and validate the Likert-scale items for each empowerment construct. The data underwent screening for normality and were analysed using SmartPLS structural equation modelling (SEM), which was chosen because of its robustness in handling latent variables and accommodating modest sample sizes.
The model fit demonstrated satisfactory performance, with a standardised Root Mean Square Residual (SRMR) value of 0.062. The researcher found that YOMA engagement was a significant predictor of SE (β = 0.703, t = 21.593, p < .001), SD (β = 0.608, t = 12.261, p < .001), and SI (β = 0.651, t = 22.816, p < .001). It accounted for 49%, 36%, and 42% of the variance in these outcomes, respectively. Diagnostics for multicollinearity, indicated by a Variance Inflation Factor (VIF) of less than 3, along with reliability indices showing a Cronbach’s alpha (α) greater than 0.85 and a Heterotrait-Monotrait ratio (HTMT) of less than 0.90, validated the measurement integrity.
The results indicate that empowerment theory has been effectively applied within the digital domain, showing that a specifically designed platform can replicate and enhance traditional mechanisms for building agency. YOMA is positioned as a scalable complement to Nigeria’s Digital Economy Strategy, providing policymakers and industry with an evidence-based framework for youth programmes. The results highlight that platform designers should prioritise a balanced incentive mix, the clear visibility of microcredentials, and robust mentor networks as high-leverage features. The cross-sectional design of the study and its reliance on self-reported engagement pose limitations that make the causal inference tentative. Future research should use longitudinal designs and stratified random sampling and incorporate objective performance data while also examining mediating pathways (e.g., skills → employment). The current evidence indicates that digital social-innovation ecosystems such as YOMA can significantly improve the confidence, capabilities, and community contributions of Nigerian youths within a cohesive integrated environment.