Applications have opened for the second edition of the Economic Community of West African States ECOWAS Start-up Awards, offering entrepreneurs across the region—including Nigeria—cash prizes totaLling $65,000.
Announcing the initiative on its official X account on Monday, the ECOWAS Commission noted that the awards aim to identify, celebrate, and scale innovative startups while fostering digital entrepreneurship and economic integration across West Africa.
This second iteration follows the inaugural event, which took place in Niamey, Niger, in November 2021.
Application window for the ECOWAS start-up award opened on August 3, 2026, and will close on August 31, 2026.
The program targets 60 startups from the 12 ECOWAS member states in six sectors: EdTech and Skills Development; FinTech; HealthTech; AgriTech and Food Systems; CleanTech, Climate and Green Innovation; and Tourism, Hospitality and TravelTech.
Selected startups will take part in virtual masterclasses from September 21–25, 2026, followed by a physical event in Abuja from September 28–30, and the regional finals on September 30.
Prizes and benefits
The first runner-up will be awarded $20,000, while the second runner-up will receive $15,000.
Additional benefits for participants include a six-month post-award mentorship and acceleration program, regional exposure across ECOWAS member states, access to investor deal rooms, networking opportunities with founders, policymakers, and development partners, as well as digital equipment such as computers, hardware peripherals, and software tools.
Eligibility for Nigerian applicants
To qualify, applicants must:
- Be citizens of an ECOWAS member state (Nigeria inclusive);
- Operate a startup registered and based in an ECOWAS country;
- Have a minimum of two years of operations;
- Demonstrate a working product or service;
- Show evidence of market traction or scalability; and
- Submit all required documentation
How to apply
Nigerians who are interested can go to https://ecowasstartupawards.ipawas.org/, the official application page.
Enter your full name, email address, phone number (optional but advised), and a minimum 10-character password when creating an account.
After registering, candidates can begin a new application by logging into the dashboard.
The form can be saved as a draft at any time and covers Sections A thru J.
Required documents include:
- National passport or ECOWAS-approved identity document of the lead founder;
- Recent passport photograph;
- Business registration certificate (issued in an ECOWAS member state, if applicable);
- Two years of financial statements, management accounts or projections;
- Business plan (maximum 10 pages, single spacing, Times New Roman 12);
- Pitch deck (maximum 10 slides); and
- One-minute pitch video (MP4, MOV or WebM, maximum 100 MB).
Read Also: ECOWAS reaffirms plan to unveil Single ECO currency in 2027
