The ECOWAS Commission has held the second edition of the ECOWAS
Startup Awards in Abuja from September 28–30, 2026, celebrating innovation, entrepreneurship and the growing potential of startups across West Africa.
The 2026 Startup Awards, themed “Scaling West African Startups for Digital Transformation, Regional Integration and Sustainable Value Chain Ecosystem Development to Drive Market Access,” is led by the Commission’s Department of Economic Affairs and Agriculture.
A statement on the ECOWAS Website said the initiative aims to connect promising startups with capital, markets, technology and opportunities to scale across the region.
The 2026 edition attracted 8,679 registrations from 12 ECOWAS Member States, with 1,499 qualified applications.
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The ECOWAS Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture, Mr. Dehpue Zuo, described the Awards as an instrument for regional economic transformation, youth employment, inclusion, industrialisation and regional integration.
“Our ambition is not simply to produce award winners. It is to produce businesses that survive, scale, create jobs and compete across Africa and beyond,” he stated.
Congratulating the finalists on their achievement, Commissioner Zuo
urged them to look beyond the competition and use the opportunity to build relationships, engage investors, identify potential partners and learn from entrepreneurs across the region.
“You competed against thousands of entrepreneurs across our region and
emerged among the very best,” he stated.
The Commissioner encouraged the finalists to think beyond their national borders, emphasising the wider impact of successful
businesses on the region.
He said, “Because when your business succeeds, West Africa succeeds. When you create jobs, you change lives. When you expand across borders, you strengthen regional integration. And when you build a successful regional enterprise, you help demonstrate what is possible in our Community.”
Representing the ITC Executive Director, Ms. Pamela Coke-Hamilton, ITC National Coordinator for Nigeria, Ms. Natasha Akioye, emphasised the importance of equipping promising businesses with the skills, finance,
networks and market opportunities needed to compete and scale across
borders
Evaluation Process
Following an evaluation process supported by the International Trade Centre, ITC, 60 startups emerged as finalists across six sectors: EdTech, FinTech, HealthTech, AgriTech and Food Systems, CleanTech and Green Innovation, and Tourism, Hospitality and TravelTech.
The top three startups received US$30,000, US$20,000 and US$15,000, respectively, at the Awards ceremony on September 30.
The final day also feature investor deal rooms and a Ministerial High-Level Dialogue on MSMEs, Industrial Integration and Trade
Development.
Ahead of the Awards, the finalists participated in a five-day intensive masterclass covering business validation, market access, regional expansion, investment readiness, fundraising, ESG and pitching.
Beyond the prize money, all 60 finalists will benefit from a six-month acceleration programme, mentorship, investor access, regional visibility and post-event support.
They will also join the ECOWAS Startup Network and benefit from the ECOWAS Private Sector Development Academy.
