By Joseph Momoh, Daily Scope Reporter
ABUJA, September 21, 2026 — The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has commenced its second Startup Awards, with 60 startups from across West Africa including Sierra Leone competing for $65,000 in seed funding and access to $5 million in potential investment deals.
The 10-day event, which opened on September 21 at the new ECOWAS Headquarters in Abuja, will run until September 30 under the theme: “Scaling West African Startups for Digital Transformation, Regional Integration and Sustainable Value Chain Ecosystem Development to Drive Market Access.”
The top three winners will take home $30,000, $20,000 and $15,000 respectively.
The programme, a follow-up to the inaugural edition in Niamey, Niger in 2021, is designed to connect entrepreneurs with investors and development partners while boosting regional market access.
ECOWAS will also establish a Private Sector Development Academy, a digital platform to build capacity for startups and policymakers in enterprise development, trade and competitiveness.
The initiative is supported by ITC, GIZ, ASKY, UNIDO and the Bank of Industry of Nigeria.
For more information, contact Daily Scope Newspaper at dailyscopemedia@gmail.com
