The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), through the Creating Opportunities for Youth and Women in Africa (COYWA) programme, has opened applications for a new entrepreneurship and skills development initiative targeted at young entrepreneurs and women across the ECOWAS region.
The programme is being implemented by the Centre for Dialogue, Humanitarian, Social and Sustainable Development Studies (CDJS), in partnership with the ECOWAS Youth and Sport Development Centre (EYSDC), AUDA-NEPAD and the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID).
According to the organisers, the initiative is designed to identify and support “dynamic, innovative and committed young entrepreneurs” whose businesses and ideas can create socio-economic impact in their communities, especially for women and young people.
The organisers said the new application round is part of the expansion of the COYWA programme following the success recorded during the first cohort.
In a statement announcing the call for applications, the programme partners explained that the first cohort produced strong outcomes across participating African countries.
“Forty-seven young entrepreneurs from 25 African countries were trained through a hybrid system covering key themes such as financial education, digital literacy, branding and digital marketing,” the organisers stated.
The first cohort reportedly achieved a 99 percent success rate, while participants also recorded high satisfaction levels across all evaluation indicators used by the programme managers.
The statement further noted that 15 participants from the previous cohort obtained distinctions and are now positioned to serve as mentor-facilitators in future stages of the programme.
Building on these outcomes, the African Union Development Agency-New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD) and AECID approved the expansion of the initiative through the launch of Cohort 2.
Unlike the first edition, the second cohort will adopt a sub-regional structure combining virtual and physical learning sessions.
Under the new format, selected participants will undergo four weeks of online entrepreneurial training followed by five days of intensive in-person sessions.
The first physical training session for Cohort 2 is scheduled to hold in June 2026 in Praia, Cabo Verde, at the Business Lab of the University of Cabo Verde.
Organisers disclosed that the programme will bring together 75 participants from ECOWAS member states, including 25 participants from the host country, Cabo Verde.
The training curriculum will focus on entrepreneurship development, innovation, business branding, financial literacy, digital skills and business growth strategies aimed at helping participants scale sustainable ventures.
The programme also seeks to strengthen regional collaboration among young African entrepreneurs while improving access to mentorship opportunities and practical business knowledge.
Applications are currently open to eligible young people and women entrepreneurs from countries within the ECOWAS region.
The organisers encouraged interested applicants to submit their applications through the official application portal before the deadline.
More information about the programme and application process is available via the official COYWA application portal eywep.cdjscedeao.org/fr/ressources/8.
