Nigeria, May 24 -- It began without fanfare. No confetti. No grand press conference. Just a quiet upload on a government website - startup.gov.ng - yet within that single link lies what might become one of the most significant bridges ever built between Nigerian innovators and the government meant to serve them.

To some, it is just another government platform. But for thousands of young Nigerians building software from cafes, testing prototypes in backyard sheds, or pitching investors from their phones, this is hope - finally documented.

The Startup Support and Engagement Portal is the latest offering under the Nigeria Startup Act (NSA), steered by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA). On paper, it looks like a...