ECOWAS to honour 60 West African start-ups
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is set to showcase 60 of West Africa’s most promising start-ups at the 2nd ECOWAS Startup Awards in Abuja.
The second edition of the ECOWAS Startup Awards, themed “Scaling West African Startups for Digital Transformation, Regional Integration and Sustainable Value Chain Ecosystem Development to drive Market Access,” will run from September 21 to September 30 at the new ECOWAS Headquarters in Abuja.
ECOWAS said the initiative is focused on spotlighting home-grown solutions with the potential to transform businesses, create opportunities and accelerate regional integration.
The programme begins with a virtual master class from September 21 to 25, before its Pitching, Exhibition and Awards programme from September 28 to 30, which will connect start-ups with investors, business leaders and development partners.
The start-ups will span six major strategic sectors, including FinTech, HealthTech, AgriTech and Food Systems, EdTech and Skills Development, CleanTech, Climate and Green Innovation, and Tourism, Hospitality and Travel Tech.
The top three start-ups will receive $30,000, $20,000 and $15,000 in seed funding.
The initiative also targets $5 million in deals across its thematic tracks.
The 2nd ECOWAS Startup Awards builds on its inaugural awards, which took place in Niamey in 2021, to create a lasting regional platform for entrepreneurship and innovation.
ECOWAS also announced plans to create a Private Sector Development Academy, a permanent digital learning platform designed to train start-ups, entrepreneurs and policymakers in enterprise development, trade and competitiveness.
It added that the initiative is supported by partners such as ITC, GIZ, ASKY, UNIDO and the Bank of Industry of Nigeria to turn West Africa’s entrepreneurial energy into scalable enterprises, stronger regional value chains and greater access to markets across the region and beyond.
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