HubPharm Africa Wins $30,000 at the 2026 ECOWAS Startup Awards, With Senegal's Gaynako and Côte d'Ivoire's My Opinion Second and Third

HubPharm Africa, a Nigerian health-tech startup, won the $30,000 first prize at the second ECOWAS Startup Awards in Abuja on Wednesday, 30th September, the News Agency of Nigeria reports. Gaynako from Senegal took second place and $20,000, and My Opinion from Côte d'Ivoire took third place and $15,000, according to World Stage News. They beat 57 other finalists from across West Africa, in a field PINCHED covered before the final.

What HubPharm Africa Does

HubPharm Africa runs a chronic care medicine supply chain, and World Stage News reports that it has served more than 10,200 patients across Nigeria and 11 other countries in 28 months of operation. The company is co-founded by Tope Kareem, a licensed clinical pharmacist with more than 13 years of experience in pharmacy operations, supply chain management and patient services, who holds degrees from Olabisi Onabanjo University and Lagos Business School.

The win follows an earlier one this year. In May, HubPharm Africa won ₦15 million in enterprise partnership and co-development support from MTN at The Gathering on 100 pitchathon, PositiveNaija reported.

What the Winner Said

Kareem said the competition opened doors the business needed. "This competition has given me access to partnerships, collaboration, investors and so many other things," Kareem said, per World Stage News. Explaining what drew the team to enter, Kareem said: "I saw a lot of innovations coming out from young people like us, solving global problems, having global solutions that could actually affect millions of lives."

What Comes After the Prize

The prize money is only part of what the winners get. The top three also gain access to investor networking opportunities, and organisers had set a target of $5 million in deals across the competition, ECOWAS said before the event. All 60 finalists enter a six-month acceleration programme.

ECOWAS Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture Dehpue Yenpea Zuo described the awards as a starting point. "Our ambition is not simply to produce award winners. It is to produce businesses that survive, scale, create jobs and compete across Africa and beyond," Zuo said in an ECOWAS statement. World Stage News reports the Commission also announced three support initiatives: a Private Sector Development e-learning academy, a Startup Network for regional collaboration, and venture capital access programmes.

Why the Podium Matters

The result spreads across the region. A Nigerian company won, but second and third place went to Senegal and Côte d'Ivoire, two French-speaking markets, which shows the competition working as a regional contest and not a Nigerian showcase. For African startups the pattern is useful: a health-tech business with patients in a dozen countries won in a field that also covered fintech, agri-tech, clean-tech and tourism technology.

The Winners of the Ecowas Startup Awards. Source: nannews

What to Watch Next

The test now is what the prize turns into. Whether the winners convert the access to investors into signed deals, and whether the Startup Network and the venture capital programmes ECOWAS announced reach the other 57 finalists, will show if the awards produce more than a ceremony.

This article is a news report on the result. PINCHED has not independently verified the company's patient figures.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who Won the 2026 ECOWAS Startup Awards?

HubPharm Africa, a Nigerian health-tech startup, won first place and $30,000.

Who Came Second and Third?

Gaynako from Senegal took second place and $20,000, and My Opinion from Côte d'Ivoire took third place and $15,000.

What Does HubPharm Africa Do?

It runs a chronic care medicine supply chain and has served more than 10,200 patients in Nigeria and 11 other countries, according to World Stage News.

How Much Was the Total Prize Pool?

$65,000 across the top three places.

Where Was the Final Held?

At the ECOWAS headquarters in Abuja, with the programme running from 28th to 30th September 2026.