ECOWAS COYWA Program Is Open — And African Women Entrepreneurs Need to See This
If you are a young woman building a business anywhere in West Africa, this opportunity was designed with you in mind. The ECOWAS Commission has officially launched applications for the COYWA Program — Creating Opportunities for Youth and Women in Africa — and applications are open right now.
Here👇🏼 Is everything you need to know.
What Is COYWA?
COYWA is a flagship initiative of AUDA-NEPAD, developed in partnership with the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID). The programme was established after a strategic reflection on youth and women's empowerment, and spans a five-year implementation period. Aligned with the African Union's Agenda 2063, COYWA aims to empower women and youth both economically and socially.
The programme's overarching goal is to improve the capacities, autonomy, and livelihoods of African women and youth, resulting in greater economic independence, stronger leadership, and enhanced contribution to community development.
The ECOWAS Commission is now running its own arm of this continental programme — the ECOWAS Young Women Entrepreneurs Program (EYWEP) — specifically targeting women entrepreneurs across the 15 ECOWAS Member States.
Who Is This For?
This programme is for you if you are:
✅ A young woman aged 18–35 from an ECOWAS Member State (this includes Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, Gambia, Benin, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Sierra Leone, Togo, Cape Verde, and Guinea-Bissau)
✅ An entrepreneur or business owner — whether you are early-stage or already growing
✅ Passionate about innovation, impact, and sustainability
✅ Working in sectors such as technology, agribusiness, renewable energy, digital commerce, or any enterprise with growth potential
The programme is also open to youth-led startups, innovators, and women-owned businesses across West Africa.
What Will You Gain?
Selected participants will benefit from business incubation and acceleration support, mentorship from industry experts and ecosystem leaders, entrepreneurial training and capacity-building, networking access with regional innovators and investors, and exposure to regional and international markets.
In plain terms — this is not just a certificate programme. It is a full ecosystem of support to help you build, scale, and position your business for long-term success.
The programme's core components include certified training covering digital and financial literacy, e-commerce, and skills development, alongside employment creation, inclusiveness, human rights, and gender equality initiatives.
Why You Should Apply
West African women entrepreneurs face real gaps — access to finance, visibility, mentorship, and structured business education. Programmes like COYWA are increasingly important channels for connecting founders with mentorship, visibility, training, funding readiness, and the ecosystem support needed to build sustainable businesses capable of scaling across African markets.
This is a regional-level programme backed by the ECOWAS Commission and the African Union. Being selected gives you not just tools, but legitimacy — the kind that opens doors with investors, partners, and international networks.
How to Apply
📌 Application Portal: Visit the official ECOWAS EYWEP platform at eywep.cdjscedeao.org
📌 Download the Application Form: Available directly on the Resources page of the website (COYWA Application Form — English version available)
📌 Deadline: Check the official website for the exact closing date — the call for applications was published on 9 May 2026, so the window is active now. Do not wait.
📌 Contact: eywepinfo@cdjscedeao.org
📌 Social Media: Follow @ecowas_cedeao and use the hashtag #COYWA for updates
Opportunities at this level — backed by a continental body, open to women across 15 countries, offering real business support — do not come every day. If you are a woman building something in West Africa, this is your moment to step into a bigger room.
Apply. Share with a sister entrepreneur. And let us know in the comments if you submit your application.
For more grants, fellowships, and opportunities like this, check back on this blog daily. Sharing is free — forward this to every woman entrepreneur you know.
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