ECOWAS holds planning meeting for 2026 Start-Up Awards Programme
Date: 2026-03-26
By: Nana Appiah Acquaye
The
Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has convened a three-day
Planning Committee Meeting at Zuma Rock Resort in Niger State, Nigeria, to
advance preparations for the 2nd ECOWAS Start-Up Awards Programme scheduled for
2026.
Organised
by the Directorate of Private Sector and Industry, the programme aims to
stimulate innovation and entrepreneurship across ECOWAS Member States, focusing
on key sectors such as Education Technology, Health Technology, Financial
Technology, Agricultural Technology, Clean Technology, and Energy Technology.
The
Planning Committee brings together technical directorates of the ECOWAS
Commission, the ECOWAS Permanent Representative Committee, and institutional
partners, including the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation
(UNIDO), Nigeria’s National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA),
regional investment promotion agencies, the Pan-African Alliance of Small and
Medium Scale Industries (PAOSMI), and representatives from venture capital
organisations.
The
meeting is expected to finalise strategies to identify, support, and celebrate
innovative start-ups across West Africa, reinforcing the region’s commitment to
entrepreneurship and technological development.
