Mo Ibrahim Foundation Leadership Fellowship 2027: $100,000 Stipend for African Professionals
The Mo Ibrahim Foundation Leadership Fellowship 2027 is a 12-month professional fellowship designed to identify, develop and mentor the next generation of outstanding African leaders.
The programme gives three African professionals the opportunity to work at senior levels within three major African and international institutions:
- African Development Bank (AfDB) — Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire
- United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) — Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- International Trade Centre (ITC) — Geneva, Switzerland
Each Fellow receives an annual stipend of US$100,000. During the 12-month programme, Fellows develop technical and leadership skills while contributing directly to research, strategy, policy design and institutional work. They also benefit from direct mentorship from the leadership of their host institution.
Mo Ibrahim Foundation Leadership Fellowship 2027
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Programme | Ibrahim Leadership Fellowship |
| Organiser | Mo Ibrahim Foundation |
| Year | 2027 |
| Number of Fellows | 3 |
| Duration | 12 months |
| Stipend | US$100,000 |
| Eligible nationality | African nationals |
| Minimum experience | 7 years of relevant work experience |
| Minimum qualification | Master’s degree |
| Age | Under 40 |
| Extended age | Under 45 for women with children |
| Host institutions | AfDB, ITC and UNECA |
| Host locations | Abidjan, Geneva and Addis Ababa |
| Application status | Open |
| Deadline | 20 November 2026 |
| Application method | Depends on host institution |
The Mo Ibrahim Foundation confirms that applications for the 2027 Fellowships are now open and directs applicants to the individual host institutions for the application process.
About the Ibrahim Leadership Fellowship
The Ibrahim Leadership Fellowships were established in 2011 to identify and mentor future generations of outstanding African leaders.
Each year, three Fellows work in the executive offices of the African Development Bank, International Trade Centre or United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.
The Fellowship combines practical professional experience with leadership development. Fellows contribute directly to research, policy design and strategic work while receiving mentorship from senior leadership at their host institution.
Since the programme began, Fellows from across Africa have participated in the programme. The Foundation states that, including the 2026 cohort, 43 Fellows have participated since 2012.
Fellowship Benefits
Successful Fellows receive several professional and financial benefits.
US$100,000 Annual Stipend
The Fellowship provides an annual stipend of US$100,000, paid during the 12-month programme.
12 Months of Professional Experience
Fellows spend up to 12 months working within one of the host institutions.
The placement provides practical experience at a senior institutional level and exposure to strategic policy and development work.
Leadership Development
The programme is specifically designed to strengthen both technical and leadership skills.
Direct Mentorship
One of the distinctive features is the opportunity to receive direct mentorship from the heads of the host organisations.
Research and Policy Experience
Fellows contribute directly to:
- Research
- Policy design
- Strategy development
- Policy implementation
- Institutional assignments
- Development-related initiatives
International Exposure
The three host institutions operate across Africa and internationally, giving Fellows exposure to senior policymakers, development professionals and multilateral institutions.
Now Generation Network
After completing the Fellowship, Fellows become members of the Now Generation Network (NGN).
The NGN is a network of young and mid-career Africans from across the continent who continue contributing their skills and ideas to Africa’s development.
Eligibility Requirements
The general Mo Ibrahim Foundation requirements state that applicants must:
- Be a national of an African country.
- Have at least 7 years of relevant work experience.
- Hold a Master’s degree.
- Be under 40 years old.
- Women with children may be considered up to 45 years old.
- Meet any additional requirements established by the specific host institution.
Applicants can be living anywhere in the world; they do not have to be physically resident in Africa when applying.
The Fellowship is intended for young professionals, mid-career professionals and new executives.
Host Institution 1: African Development Bank
The African Development Bank (AfDB) Fellowship is based in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
The 2027 AfDB position was posted on 21 September 2026, with applications closing on 20 November 2026.
The selected Fellow will work with senior Bank leadership on strategic assignments intended to strengthen professional and leadership capacity.
AfDB Focus Areas for 2027
The priority areas identified for the 2027 Fellowship are the Bank’s four Cardinal Points:
- Mobilising resources on a large scale to finance Africa’s development
- Reforming Africa’s financial architecture
- Harnessing the demographic dividend to drive economic growth
- Building climate-resilient infrastructure and robust value addition to natural resources
The Bank is particularly looking for strong professional experience in the private sector, strong analytical skills in development policy and strategy, and the ability to run development models.
AfDB Requirements
In addition to the Foundation’s general requirements, applicants for the AfDB position must:
- Be a national of an African country, residing anywhere in the world.
- Not be an active, non-active, retired or separated AfDB staff member.
- Not have close family relations with an active or non-active Bank staff member, such as a mother, father, sister or brother.
- Not be a government official.
- Not be active military personnel.
- Not be a political party leader.
- Be within the applicable age limit.
- Hold at least a Master’s degree from a recognised institution in banking, business, economics, social sciences, finance, international development or another discipline relevant to the Bank’s business.
- Have at least 7 years of relevant work experience.
- Demonstrate leadership and consultative skills.
- Have experience in strategic planning, project management and execution.
- Have experience formulating policies and developing and implementing strategies and procedures.
- Demonstrate strong analytical skills, including the ability to analyse and interpret financial and other data.
- Have strong written and oral presentation skills.
- Be able to communicate effectively with government officials and diverse stakeholders.
- Be able to motivate teams and manage several projects simultaneously.
AfDB Responsibilities
The Fellow will be expected to:
- Design, develop and help implement innovative approaches to strategic issues.
- Conduct research and analysis of strategy, programmes and policy areas.
- Monitor and analyse implementation of Bank initiatives.
- Prepare briefs, memoranda and other documents explaining likely impacts in accessible language.
- Participate in high-level discussions.
- Contribute to preparation for the President’s meetings and missions.
- Carry out other duties assigned by relevant senior staff.
AfDB Application Documents
Applicants must submit:
- Comprehensive CV showing date of birth, nationality, education and relevant experience.
- Academic transcripts.
- Three letters of recommendation.
Applications must be submitted online through the African Development Bank’s vacancy page by 20 November 2026.
Host Institution 2: United Nations Economic Commission for Africa
The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) Fellowship is based at ECA headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The 2027 application period runs from 21 September 2026 to 20 November 2026, with a deadline of 20 November 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Addis Ababa time (GMT+3).
The ECA Fellowship is intended to help young African professionals:
- Develop leadership capacity.
- Understand how a major UN institution operates.
- Gain deeper knowledge of Africa’s socio-economic challenges.
- Contribute to ECA’s analytical work.
- Support advocacy and policy advisory activities.
ECA Eligibility
Applicants must:
- Be nationals of an ECA member state.
- Be under 40 on 20 November 2026.
- Women with children may be considered if under 45 on the deadline.
- Not be employees of the UN Secretariat/ECA.
- Have at least 7 years of relevant work experience.
- Demonstrate professionalism, teamwork, client orientation, planning and organising ability and leadership potential.
- Have experience in strategic planning and execution.
- Have knowledge of negotiating and change management.
- Have experience examining and re-engineering operations and procedures.
- Have experience formulating policy and implementing strategies and procedures.
- Be able to communicate with officials at all government levels.
- Have experience in research/analytical work in a socio-economic area.
- Be able to work in teams and manage several assignments.
- Experience working on African issues is an advantage.
- Hold at least a Master’s degree or higher in Economics, Social Sciences, International Development, Business Administration, Law, Finance, Engineering or another field relevant to ECA’s work.
Language Requirements
English or French fluency is required.
Knowledge of the other language is desirable.
Applications may be submitted in either English or French.
Applicants must also have sound knowledge of the internet and basic software for:
- Word processing
- Spreadsheets
- Presentations
ECA Fellowship Responsibilities
The Fellow will be mentored by the ECA Executive Secretary or a designated representative and may:
- Advise on and develop strategic initiatives.
- Support programmatic and administrative functions.
- Develop strategies promoting regional integration.
- Develop and promote innovations in ECA development policies.
- Review activity reports and financial statements.
- Assess progress toward objectives.
- Revise objectives and plans according to changing circumstances.
- Undertake other assigned duties.
ECA Application Requirements
The ECA application has four mandatory elements.
1. UN Administrative Profile (AP)
Applicants must create and submit a complete UN Administrative Profile (AP) as a PDF.
The AP must include the applicant’s cover/motivation letter.
The Foundation states that applicants are primarily evaluated based on the information contained in the AP, so applicants should thoroughly complete their:
- Education
- Training
- Language proficiency
- Work experience
- Cover/motivation statement
The AP is created through Inspira.
There is no Job Opening for this Fellowship inside Inspira. Applicants must create a draft AP that is not tied to a published job opening and save it as a PDF for submission.
ECA cannot retrieve draft APs from Inspira, so an application without the complete AP PDF will be considered incomplete.
Technical support for creating the AP can be requested from kassahunb@un.org.
2. Academic Degree Certificates
Applicants must provide copies of relevant academic degree certificates.
This includes:
- Master’s degree certificates.
- Doctorate/terminal degree certificates, where applicable.
The ECA instructions state that:
- Non-degree academic certificates are not required.
- High school diplomas/transcripts are not required.
- First-level/bachelor’s degree documentation is not required because the Master’s degree is the minimum requirement.
3. Three Recommendation Letters
Applicants must provide three letters of reference/recommendation.
The letters should be addressed to:
“2027 ECA Mo Ibrahim Leadership Fellow Selection Committee”
The referees should send the letters to the applicant, and the applicant must include all three letters with the email submission.
Letters sent directly from referees to ECA will not be considered.
An application missing any of the three letters will be considered incomplete.
4. Online Survey
Applicants must complete the ECA’s online survey before submitting their application.
After completing the survey, applicants must take a screenshot showing that their responses have been submitted and save that screenshot as a PDF for inclusion with the application.
The survey responses are treated as confidential and used for internal purposes only.
ECA Submission Instructions
All application documents must be submitted together by email.
Email: RecruitmentPPost@un.org
Subject line:
ECA 2027 Mo Ibrahim Leadership Fellowship (Applicant Last Name, First Name)
Applications must be submitted as PDF attachments. Large documents may be combined/compressed into a ZIP file, but other compression formats such as RAR should not be used.
Applications must be in English or French.
The deadline is 20 November 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Addis Ababa time (GMT+3).
Late applications will not be accepted.
Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.
If multiple submissions are received from the same applicant, only the most recent submission will be considered.
Only finalists will be contacted, and unsuccessful applicants will not receive feedback.
ECA says submitted applications will be acknowledged within one week of receipt.
Fellowship Terms and Conditions
The Fellowship lasts for 12 months.
It is not a permanent employment position at the host institution.
For example, the AfDB explicitly states that the Fellow is not a regular Bank employee and that there is no automatic right or guarantee of employment after the Fellowship. The Fellowship contract is for one year and is not renewable.
Travel
For the AfDB placement, official mission travel expenses, including travel insurance, are covered by the Bank, while travel and shipping associated with taking up the appointment and returning home are funded through the Foundation.
For the ECA placement, official mission travel and travel insurance are covered by ECA, while travel to take up the appointment and repatriation at the end are funded by the Foundation.
Medical and Other Personal Benefits
For ECA, the Fellow is responsible for their own:
- Medical insurance
- Child education arrangements
- Retirement arrangements
For AfDB, the Foundation provides arrangements for the Fellow’s medical insurance, child education and retirement plans, according to the host institution’s specific terms.
Document Checklist
General Preparation
Applicants should prepare:
- ☐ Updated comprehensive CV
- ☐ Master’s degree certificate
- ☐ Relevant academic documentation
- ☐ Three recommendation/reference letters
- ☐ Cover/motivation letter
- ☐ Proof of nationality where required
- ☐ Evidence of relevant professional experience
- ☐ Evidence of leadership experience
AfDB Applicants
- ☐ Comprehensive CV
- ☐ Academic transcripts
- ☐ Three recommendation letters
- ☐ Any additional documents requested through the AfDB portal
ECA Applicants
All four of the following are mandatory:
- ☐ Completed UN Administrative Profile (AP) in PDF
- ☐ Cover/motivation letter included in the AP
- ☐ Copies of relevant Master’s/doctorate degree certificates
- ☐ Three recommendation letters
- ☐ Completed ECA online survey
- ☐ PDF screenshot confirming survey submission
ITC Applicants
Applicants should follow the document requirements specified on the ITC application portal linked from the Mo Ibrahim Foundation’s Fellowship page.
How to Apply
The application process depends on the host institution you are applying to.
African Development Bank
Apply through the official AfDB 2027 Mo Ibrahim Foundation Leadership Fellowship vacancy.
The deadline is:
20 November 2026
The AfDB selection process involves an initial Human Resources review, a shortlist of 10 applicant files for further review by the Foundation, and a shortlist of 3 candidates presented to the Bank President or designate for final selection. Only applicants who meet the requirements and are selected for further assessment will be contacted.
UNECA
Prepare the required AP, academic certificates, three recommendations and survey confirmation.
Email all required PDF documents to:
Use the subject:
ECA 2027 Mo Ibrahim Leadership Fellowship (Applicant Last Name, First Name)
Deadline:
20 November 2026, 11:59 p.m. Addis Ababa time (GMT+3).
ITC
Use the ITC application link provided on the official Mo Ibrahim Foundation Fellowship page and follow the specific application instructions for the Geneva placement.
Application Deadline
For the 2027 Fellowship cycle, the current official information gives:
20 November 2026
The AfDB vacancy closes on 20 November 2026.
The UNECA application closes on 20 November 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Addis Ababa time (GMT+3).
Applicants should check the specific ITC posting for its current closing time and any host-specific requirements.
Important Things Applicants Should Know
This Is Not an Undergraduate Scholarship
The programme is intended for experienced African professionals, not undergraduate students.
The minimum general requirement is a Master’s degree and seven years of relevant work experience.
You Can Live Anywhere
African nationals living outside Africa can apply, provided they satisfy the other requirements.
Host-Specific Requirements Apply
Meeting the Foundation’s general criteria does not automatically make an applicant eligible for every placement. Each host institution may impose additional requirements.
Only Three Fellows Are Selected
The Foundation states that three Fellows are selected each year, with one placement at each of the three host institutions.
Official Application Links
Mo Ibrahim Foundation — Ibrahim Leadership Fellowships:
African Development Bank — 2027 Fellowship:
UNECA — 2027 Fellowship Programme:
International Trade Centre:
Use the ITC application link provided on the official Mo Ibrahim Foundation Fellowship page.
Conclusion
The Mo Ibrahim Foundation Leadership Fellowship 2027 is a 12-month professional development opportunity for experienced African professionals seeking exposure to high-level work at the African Development Bank, International Trade Centre or United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.
The Fellowship provides a US$100,000 annual stipend, leadership development, practical experience in research and policy work, mentorship from senior institutional leaders and membership of the Now Generation Network after completion.
Eligible applicants should have an African nationality, a Master’s degree, at least seven years of relevant professional experience, and meet the applicable age requirements.
Deadline: 20 November 2026.
Because the Fellowship is highly specialised and host institutions have additional requirements, applicants should carefully review the specific AfDB, UNECA or ITC instructions before submitting.
