The ECOWAS Commission has commenced the second edition of the ECOWAS Startup Awards, holding in Abuja from September 28–30, 2026, to celebrate innovation, entrepreneurship and the growing potential of startups across West Africa.

Themed “Scaling West African Startups for Digital Transformation, Regional Integration and Sustainable Value Chain Ecosystem Development to Drive Market Access,” the initiative, led by the Commission’s Department of Economic Affairs and Agriculture, 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. 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 will receive US$30,000, US$20,000 and US$15,000, respectively, at the Awards ceremony on September 30. The final day will 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.

In his welcome address, Mr. Dehpue Yenpea Zuo, ECOWAS Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture, 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 said.

He encouraged the finalists to think beyond their national borders, emphasising the wider impact of successful businesses on the region.

“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.

Also speaking at the event, H.E. Senator John Owan Enoh, Minister of State for Industry, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, highlighted the important role of startups in Nigeria’s economic development. He noted that Nigerian startups reportedly raised US$364.1 million in August 2026, while stressing that capital mobilisation is only one component of enterprise development.

He emphasised that the long-term sustainability of businesses will depend on their ability to build productive capacity, create quality employment, access new markets, meet applicable standards and compete effectively over time.

He subsequently declared the ECOWAS Startup Awards officially open.

The ECOWAS Startup Awards reaffirm the Commission’s commitment to building a stronger regional innovation ecosystem and creating pathways for West African startups to scale, create jobs, access new markets and contribute to sustainable economic growth across the region.