HubPharm Africa, a Nigerian healthcare startup led by Tope Kareem, won the US$30,000 grand prize at the second ECOWAS Startup Awards in Abuja on 30 September 2026. Gaynako of Senegal and My Opinion of Côte d'Ivoire took the runner-up prizes, while the Commission launched the ECOWAS Private Sector Development Academy and ECOWAS Startup Networks.
The First West Africa Regional Water Forum closed in Abidjan on 25 September 2026 with the adoption of the Abidjan Declaration on Water Security and Sustainable Development, built on five strategic pillars. Delegates approved a Regional Follow-up Committee and a specialised Negotiation Task Force, and designated Cabo Verde to host the second edition.
ECOWAS convened the second Steering Committee meeting for the Regional Clean Cooking Action in West Africa in Abuja on 18 September 2026. The €17 million programme, funded by the EU and the Netherlands, aims to reach 750,000 people with clean cooking solutions. Partners reviewed technical progress and discussed national ownership, gender equity and market development.
