In a major boost for Nigeria’s thriving health-tech ecosystem and West Africa’s broader innovation landscape, Lagos-based HubPharm Africa has been crowned the overall winner of the second ECOWAS Startup Awards. The company took home the top prize of $30,000 at a ceremony held on 30 September 2026 at the new ECOWAS Headquarters in Abuja.
HubPharm Africa, a pharmacist-led specialty pharmacy and coordinated-care platform focused on chronic disease management, edged out four other finalists from across the region.
Senegal’s Gaynako finished as first runner-up with $20,000, while Côte d’Ivoire’s myOpinion placed third and received $15,000. The remaining finalists were Baykart from The Gambia and Afrikan Coders from Cabo Verde. The total prize pool stood at $65,000.
The 2026 edition of the awards drew strong interest across the 12 ECOWAS member states. Organisers reported 8,679 registrations, of which 1,499 applications qualified for evaluation. A rigorous selection process, supported by the International Trade Centre (ITC), narrowed the field to 60 finalists. These startups represented six priority sectors: HealthTech, FinTech, EdTech and Skills Development, AgriTech and Food Systems, CleanTech and Green Innovation, and Tourism, Hospitality and TravelTech.
The 60 finalists took part in a five-day intensive masterclass covering business validation, market access, regional expansion, investment readiness, fundraising, ESG principles and pitching. The programme culminated in regional finals, investor deal rooms and policy dialogues in Abuja from 28–30 September 2026.
Beyond the cash prizes, the top three winners gained access to potential investment opportunities valued at up to $5 million through investor deal rooms. All 60 finalists will benefit from a six-month acceleration programme, mentorship, regional visibility and post-event support.
This was the second edition of the awards. The inaugural event took place in Niamey, Niger, in 2021. ECOWAS officials have indicated that the awards will now become an annual fixture, with plans under discussion to raise the top prize to $50,000 in future editions to make the competition even more attractive.
About HubPharm Africa
Founded in 2021 by licensed pharmacists Sesan Kareem (Founder and President) and Tope Kareem (Co-Founder and CEO), HubPharm Africa addresses a critical gap in African healthcare: reliable access to medicines and ongoing support for people living with chronic conditions.
The company operates an AI-powered specialty pharmacy and coordinated-care platform that combines medicine sourcing, pharmacist oversight, patient follow-up and digital tools to improve treatment adherence.
A flagship product is Afiya AI, a WhatsApp-based health companion that delivers medication reminders, adherence monitoring, refill prompts and support in more than 50 languages across dozens of countries—no app download required. Services cover conditions including diabetes, hypertension, oncology, HIV/PrEP, sickle cell disease and others.
By the time of the awards, HubPharm reported serving more than 10,200 chronic-care patients across Nigeria and 11 other countries within roughly 28 months of scaled operations.
The platform has delivered hundreds of thousands of medicine packs and reports meaningful improvements in adherence of around 42% alongside high patient satisfaction scores.
Tope Kareem, a licensed clinical pharmacist with over 13 years of experience in retail pharmacy, supply-chain management and patient services, leads day-to-day operations. She holds a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree and an Entrepreneurship Development Certificate from Lagos Business School.
At the awards ceremony, Tope Kareem expressed gratitude to the ECOWAS Commission for creating a platform that recognises and supports African innovators. The company sees the win as validation of its model and an opportunity to deepen regional partnerships and expansion.
The ECOWAS Startup Awards form part of a wider effort by the regional bloc to strengthen private-sector development, foster innovation and promote economic integration.
During the Abuja event, organisers also launched the ECOWAS Private Sector Development Academy and the ECOWAS Startup Networks initiatives designed to connect entrepreneurs, facilitate knowledge-sharing and expand access to markets and capital.
Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture Dehpue Yenpea Zuo emphasised that the awards go beyond prize money. They aim to build regional champions capable of creating jobs, solving local challenges and driving cross-border growth. “When your business succeeds, West Africa succeeds,” he noted in related remarks.
For Nigeria’s health-tech sector, HubPharm’s victory underscores the country’s growing strength in digital health solutions tailored to African realities by leveraging ubiquitous platforms like WhatsApp, local clinical expertise and practical logistics to reach patients who might otherwise fall through the cracks of traditional healthcare systems.
HubPharm Africa now joins a select group of West African startups with enhanced visibility, capital and networks. The combination of the $30,000 prize, investor access and acceleration support positions the company to scale its chronic-care infrastructure further across the region.
The success of the second ECOWAS Startup Awards also signals a maturing regional innovation ecosystem. With plans to make the programme annual and potentially increase prize amounts, ECOWAS is signalling a sustained commitment to nurturing the entrepreneurs who will shape West Africa’s economic future with one innovative solution at a time.
HubPharm’s win is more than a national achievement. It is a clear demonstration that African-led health technology, grounded in local clinical insight and practical digital tools, can compete at the highest regional level and deliver measurable impact for patients who need it most.
