How Nigerian startups can enter ECOWAS $65,000 contest

Nigerian entrepreneurs with established startups have an opportunity to compete for a share of $65,000 in cash prizes under the second edition of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Startup Awards.

The regional competition, which opened on August 3, 2026, is targeting innovative businesses across 12 ECOWAS member states, including Nigeria, with applications closing on August 31.

The ECOWAS Commission said the programme is designed to promote digital entrepreneurship, innovation and economic integration while helping promising startups expand across West Africa.

The competition is open to startups operating in six areas: education technology and skills development, financial technology, health technology, agricultural technology and food systems, clean technology and green innovation, and tourism, hospitality and travel technology.

To qualify, applicants must be citizens of an ECOWAS member state and operate a startup that is registered and based within the region.

Applicants must also have been in operation for at least two years, have a functional product or service, demonstrate market traction or scalability and provide the required documentation.

The competition offers $20,000 to the first runner-up and $15,000 to the second runner-up, while the overall prize structure includes a total cash pool of $65,000.

Beyond the financial rewards, successful startups will gain access to investors through deal rooms, regional exposure, networking opportunities with founders, policymakers and development partners, as well as a six-month acceleration and mentorship programme.

Selected startups will participate in virtual masterclasses from September 21 to 25 before proceeding to a physical event in Abuja from September 28 to 30. The regional finals will hold on September 30.

How Nigerians can apply

Nigerian applicants can access the official application portal at ECOWAS portal.

Applicants are required to create an account using their name, email address, telephone number and a password of at least 10 characters.

After registration, applicants can log into their dashboard, start a new application and save the form as a draft while completing the required sections.

Applicants will need to provide a valid passport or ECOWAS-approved identity document, recent passport photograph, business registration certificate where applicable, two years of financial statements or management accounts/projections, a business plan of no more than 10 pages, a pitch deck of up to 10 slides and a one-minute pitch video.

The selection process will combine national nominations and open applications. Each member state will nominate half of its allocated finalists, while the remaining slots will be selected from public applications.

Regional finalists will pitch their businesses before an independent jury comprising industry experts, investors and policy stakeholders.

Entries will be assessed based on the clarity of the problem and suitability of the solution, innovation, team capacity, market potential, business model, social and economic impact, alignment with ECOWAS priorities and the quality and integrity of the pitch.

The second edition follows the inaugural ECOWAS Startup Awards held in Niamey, Niger, in November 2021.