Nigerian healthtech startup HubPharm Africa has emerged as the winner of the second ECOWAS Startup Awards, securing the competition’s $30,000 top prize at the awards ceremony in Abuja on September 30.
Co-founded by clinical pharmacist Tope Kareem, HubPharm Africa emerged ahead of startups from across West Africa in a competition designed to identify businesses using innovation to address major economic and social challenges in the region.
The victory came from a field of 60 finalists, selected from 8,679 registrations across 12 ECOWAS member states. The finalists competed across sectors including healthtech, fintech, agritech, cleantech, education technology and travel technology.
HubPharm focuses on improving access to medicines and supporting people living with chronic illnesses through a combination of pharmacy services, medicine supply-chain operations and digital health tools.
The company says its platform currently supports more than 10,200 chronic-care patients across Nigeria and 11 other countries, with services covering areas including diabetes, hypertension, oncology and HIV/PrEP.
Its digital approach includes Afiya AI, a WhatsApp-based health companion designed to support medication reminders, treatment adherence and prescription-refill prompts.
For HubPharm, the ECOWAS recognition also creates opportunities beyond the cash award. Kareem said the competition has opened doors to potential investors and partnerships that could help the company expand into additional West African markets without necessarily establishing physical operations in every country.
Senegalese startup Gaynako finished as first runner-up and received $20,000, while Côte d’Ivoire’s myOpinion took third place with a $15,000 award.
The three leading startups shared a total prize pool of $65,000 and are also expected to gain access to investor networks and potential investment opportunities.
The remaining two businesses among the top five were Baykart from The Gambia and Afrikan Coders from Cape Verde.
The awards are part of a broader effort by ECOWAS to strengthen entrepreneurship and private-sector development across West Africa.
During the ceremony, the Commission announced plans for a Private Sector Development Academy, an ECOWAS Startup Network and a dedicated venture capital and investors network to help startups improve their management capabilities, access markets and connect with financing.
ECOWAS officials also indicated that the Startup Awards are expected to become an annual programme, with discussions underway to increase the first prize from $30,000 to $50,000 in future editions.
For HubPharm Africa, the award provides both fresh capital and a regional platform as the company seeks to scale its technology-driven approach to chronic-care management across West Africa.
