The Ibrahim Leadership Fellowships for future African Leaders

Published by Bojana

Deadline: 14 October 2019
Open to: nationals of an African country who hold a minimum of a Master’s Degree in relevant subject
Benefits: annual stipend of USD 100,000

Description

The Ibrahim Leadership Fellowships form a selective programme designed to mentor future African leaders. Through this annual fellowship programme, they seek to deepen and broaden their growing network which continues to contribute its skills and learning to a better Africa.

Established in 2006, the Mo Ibrahim Foundation aims to support good governance and great leadership in Africa. The Foundation works to:

  • Stimulate debate on good governance;
  • Provide criteria by which citizens and governments can measure progress;
  • Recognize achievement in African leadership and provide a practical way in which leaders can build positive legacies on the continent when they have left office;
  • Support aspiring leaders for the African continent.

The Mo Ibrahim Foundation (the “Foundation”), is financing the Ibrahim Leadership Fellowship position in the African Development Bank (the “Bank”). The Fellow will perform the functions and duties of the position at the headquarters of the Bank in Abidjan, the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, or in any other location from which the Bank carries out its operations.

The Ibrahim Leadership Fellowship Programme is a selective Fellowship that prepares the next generation of outstanding African leaders by providing them with unique work opportunities at the most senior level of prominent African institutions or multilateral organizations, whose mandate is to improve the economic and social prospects of Africa. The Fellowship allows talented individuals to increase and enhance their professional capacity, with the intention of contributing to the governance and development of their countries thereby creating a pipeline of future African leaders. The Fellow will work with the Bank for this purpose, for a period not exceeding twelve (12) months, and the Foundation will finance the costs associated with the position on the following terms:

This position is not a regular position of the African Development Bank.  The contract for this assignment is for a period of one (1) year and is not renewable.  Funding is provided by the Mo Ibrahim Foundation (MIF).

The Ibrahim Leadership Fellow will take leadership guidance from the President, the Senior Vice President, the Chief of Staff and Director of Cabinet and/or a designated Representative. With this guidance, the Fellow will contribute to the design and implementation of strategic assignments that will increase and enhance their professional and leadership capacity, with the intention of contributing to the governance and development of their countries. The Fellow will also have the following responsibilities:

  1. Advise on and develop strategic initiatives to advance the Bank’s mission and objectives.
  2. Design, develop, and implement innovative policies aligned with corporate priorities.
  3. Participate in high-level discussions and contribute to the preparation of the President’s meetings and missions.
  4. Carry out research and analysis as requested.
  5. Undertake other duties as assigned and required.

Eligibility

The Fellow must:

  1. be national of an African country, residing anywhere in the world;
  2. not be an active, non-active, retired, or separated staff member of the Bank;
  3. not have close family relations with an active or non-active staff member, such as mother, father, sister and brother;
  4. Government officials, active military personnel and political party leaders are not eligible;
  5. age limit is forty (40) years for men and women and forty-five (45) years for women with children;
  6. hold a minimum of a Master’s Degree in Economics, , Social Sciences, International Development, Business Administration, Finance, Banking or any discipline relevant to the Bank’s business: such as outstanding academic credentials, relevant work experience, strong communication skills, demonstrated leadership skills and ability to work with others;
  7. have at least 7 (seven) years’ work experience relevant to the Bank’s activities;
  8. demonstrate proven leadership and consultative skills;
  9. have experience in strategic planning, project management and execution ;
  10. have experience in formulating policy, and developing and implementing new strategies and procedures;
  11. demonstrate strong ability to analyze and interpret financial data;
  12. strong writing and analytical skills;
  13. demonstrate ability to communicate and interact with officials at all levels of government and to work effectively with a wide range of constituencies in a diverse community;
  14. demonstrate ability to motivate teams and simultaneously manage several projects.

ITC Fellowship details can be found here.

UNECA Fellowship details can be found here.

Benefits

The Fellowships offer the opportunity to work in the executive offices of either the AfDB (Abidjan), UNECA (Addis Ababa) or the ITC (Geneva) with an annual stipend of USD 100,000.

The fellow will receive an annual stipend monthly paid by the Bank out of the funds provided by Foundation. The Fellow may be required to travel to different locations on instructions of the Bank. All expenses related to the Fellow’s official mission travel, including travel insurance but excluding travel and shipping costs relating to assumption of duty and repatriation, will be borne by the Bank.

How to apply?

Interested candidates should read all details of how to apply for each fellowship(AfDB, UNECA or the ITC )  here. 

For more information please visit the official website.