2026 World Bank Group Africa Fellowship Program – Apply!
The World Bank Group (WBG) Africa Region is happy to announce the upcoming application interval for the 2026 Africa Fellowship Program. This transformative initiative is designed for Ph.D. candidates and up to date Ph.D. graduates from Sub-Saharan Africa, with a powerful encouragement for girls to apply. The fellowship supplies a novel alternative to realize hands-on expertise in worldwide improvement and contribute meaningfully to world efforts to get rid of poverty and enhance shared prosperity.
Since its inception in 2013, this system has cultivated a pipeline of remarkable African students who’ve gone on to form coverage, analysis, and observe throughout the continent and globally. In 2025 alone, over 3,000 candidates utilized, with 26 fellows chosen, 54% of whom have been girls. These fellows hailed from 15 African international locations and joined departments throughout the WBG, together with the Development Research Group, Climate Finance Mobilization, Health, Nutrition & Population, and extra.
What the Fellowship Offers
Selected fellows will spend six months (January–June 2026) at WBG headquarters in Washington, D.C., or at a nation workplace, contributing to:
- Research and knowledge evaluation
- Economic coverage and lending operations
- Technical help
- Knowledge technology and dissemination
Fellows will even profit from entry to main improvement specialists, world networks, and mentorship from WBG professionals.
Eligibility Criteria
To qualify for this system, candidates should:
- Be a Sub-Saharan Africa nationwide
- Be beneath 32 years outdated by the shut of purposes
- Be enrolled in a Ph.D. program (ultimate 12 months) or have accomplished a Ph.D. inside the final 3 years
- Have an glorious command of English
- Possess robust quantitative and analytical abilities
Selection Process
- Shortlisting: Candidates are reviewed and matched with appropriate WBG models based mostly on their areas of experience.
- Final Selection: After unit consultations, finalists are supplied six-month consultancy positions beginning January 2026.
Fellows obtain guide compensation and round-trip financial system airfare to their responsibility station.
Impact of the Fellowship
Alumni of the Africa Fellowship Program have joined the World Bank Group as consultants, younger professionals, and economists. Others have gone on to impactful roles on the IMF, African universities, and world suppose tanks. The program’s success lies not simply in talent improvement however within the real-world contributions fellows make throughout their assignments.
Apply and Lead the Change
If you’re a younger African scholar able to affect improvement coverage and observe, that is your likelihood. Join a rising community of changemakers shaping Africa’s future—one analysis perception, one coverage transient, one impactful mission at a time.
🟩 Applications for the 2026 WBG Africa Fellowship Program open HERE quickly.
Learn about the 2025 WBG-Africa Fellows
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2026 World Bank Group Africa Fellowship Program – Apply!
