By Adeola Kunle

ECOWAS Opens $65,000 Startup Awards: How Nigerians Can Apply

Nigerian entrepreneurs and startups have an opportunity to compete for a share of $65,000 in prize money as the Economic Community of West African States opens applications for the second edition of its Regional Startup Awards.

The programme is designed to identify and support innovative businesses across West Africa while promoting digital entrepreneurship, technological innovation and regional economic integration.

The ECOWAS Commission announced the opening of applications on Monday, with the application window running from August 3 to August 31, 2026.

The initiative is the second edition of the ECOWAS Startup Awards, following the inaugural programme held in Niamey, Niger, in November 2021.

What successful startups will receive

The competition will select 60 startups from the 12 ECOWAS member states across six major areas:

• EdTech and Skills Development

• FinTech

• HealthTech

• AgriTech and Food Systems

• CleanTech, Climate and Green Innovation

• Tourism, Hospitality and TravelTech

The top three startups will receive cash prizes, with $30,000 for the winner, $20,000 for the first runner-up and $15,000 for the second runner-up, bringing the total prize pool to $65,000.

Beyond the cash awards, successful participants will receive regional exposure across ECOWAS member states, opportunities to connect with investors through deal rooms, and networking opportunities involving entrepreneurs, policymakers and development partners.

They will also have access to a six-month acceleration and mentorship programme, alongside digital resources including computers, accessories and software.

Who can apply?

Nigerian startups can participate because Nigeria is an ECOWAS member state.

Applicants must meet the following requirements:

• Be citizens of an ECOWAS member state, including Nigeria.

• Own or operate a startup that is registered and based in an ECOWAS country.

• Have been in operation for at least two years.

• Have a functioning product or service.

• Demonstrate evidence of market traction or potential for scalability.

• Provide all required documentation.

How Nigerians can apply

Interested Nigerian founders should apply through the official Startup Awards application portal:

ECOWAS Startup Awards Application Portal

Applicants should follow these steps:

1. Create an account

Visit the application portal and register by providing your:

• Full name

• Email address

• Telephone number — optional but recommended

• Password of at least 10 characters

2. Log into the applicant dashboard

After registration, log into the dashboard and select the option to begin a new application.

3. Complete the application form

The application is divided into Sections A to J. Applicants can save their information as a draft and return later before submitting the completed application.

4. Upload the required documents

Applicants will need to provide the following:

• National passport or an ECOWAS-approved identification document belonging to the lead founder

• Recent passport photograph

• Business registration certificate issued in an ECOWAS member state, where applicable

• Two years of financial statements, management accounts or financial projections

• Business plan of no more than 10 pages, single-spaced, using Times New Roman, size 12

• Pitch deck containing a maximum of 10 slides

• One-minute pitch video in MP4, MOV or WebM format, with a maximum file size of 100MB

5. Review and submit

Applicants should carefully review all information and uploaded documents before submitting the completed application through the portal.

The application deadline is August 31, 2026.

Selection process

The selection will take place in two stages.

During the national selection phase, each ECOWAS member state will nominate half of its allocated slots, while the remaining places will be filled through open applications from the public.

Selected finalists will then proceed to the regional stage in Abuja, where they will present their businesses before an independent jury made up of industry experts, investors and policy stakeholders.

The programme will include virtual masterclasses from September 21 to 25, 2026, followed by a physical event in Abuja from September 28 to 30. The regional finals are scheduled for September 30, 2026.

How applications will be scored

Entries will be assessed using several criteria:

• Problem clarity and solution fit — 20%

• Innovation and originality — 20%

• Team capacity and execution ability — 15%

• Market potential and scalability — 10%

• Business model and financial viability — 10%

• Social and economic impact — 10%

• Alignment with ECOWAS priorities — 10%

• Pitch, online voting and data integrity — 5%

The ECOWAS Startup Awards are intended to give promising businesses greater exposure, connect entrepreneurs with potential investors and help innovative companies expand beyond their individual national markets.

For Nigerian founders with eligible startups, the opportunity provides a platform to compete at the regional level while accessing funding, mentorship, business networks and wider visibility across West Africa.

Application deadline: August 31, 2026

Apply here: ECOWAS Startup Awards Application Portal

By Adeola Kunle