Ibrahim Leadership Fellowships 2027: AfDB, ECA, ITC

Who can apply

National of an African country, residing anywhere in the world (ECA wording: a national of an ECA member State)
Under 40 years of age, or under 45 for women with children (ECA measures this on its deadline, 20 November 2026; ITC at the time of application)
A master's degree or higher in a field relevant to the host
At least seven years of relevant work experience
AfDB: not an active, non-active, retired or separated Bank staff member, and no close family relations with Bank staff such as a parent, sister or brother. Government officials, active military personnel and political party leaders are not eligible
ECA: not an employee of the UN Secretariat or ECA, and fluency in English or French
ITC: English required, French or Spanish desirable. Priority may go to applicants with no previous ITC experience

Three separate applications, not one

The most common mistake with this fellowship is looking for a single application form on the Mo Ibrahim Foundation website. There is none. The Foundation funds the fellowships and says three fellows are placed each year, but each of the three host organisations advertises its own post, sets its own process and runs its own selection. The African Development Bank posting is in Abidjan, the UN Economic Commission for Africa call is in Addis Ababa, and the International Trade Centre posting is in Geneva. With one place at each host, it is a very small programme: the Foundation’s past-fellows page lists 38 fellows between 2012 and 2025.

How each host wants to receive your application

The routes are quite different. The African Development Bank takes applications only through the online form on its website, with a CV that shows your date of birth, nationality, education and experience, copies of your academic transcripts and three letters of recommendation. The Economic Commission for Africa does not use an online form. You first create a UN Administrative Profile, with a cover letter, on the Inspira platform, then email everything as PDFs in one message to RecruitmentPPost@un.org with the subject line “ECA 2027 Mo Ibrahim Leadership Fellowship” followed by your last name and first name. ECA also needs scanned degree certificates, three recommendation letters addressed to the “2027 ECA Mo Ibrahim Leadership Fellow Selection Committee” that your referees send to you, and a screenshot showing that you completed a short online survey. The International Trade Centre takes applications through the UN’s Inspira system.

What each host is looking for

The postings differ in emphasis, so read the one for the host you choose. The African Development Bank says its selection priority is the Bank’s four cardinal points: mobilising resources at scale for Africa’s development, reforming Africa’s financial architecture, harnessing the demographic dividend, and building climate-resilient infrastructure and value addition. Its key competences include top professional experience in the private sector and strong analytical skills in development policy and strategy. ITC’s fellow works on trade development, private sector and small business issues and public-private partnerships, and it prefers a master’s in economics, business, international development, international relations or a related area. ECA accepts any discipline relevant to its work.

How selection works

At the African Development Bank, the human resources department first shortlists ten application files for the Foundation to review, and three candidates go to the Bank’s President or a designate for the final choice. ITC says it may use an assessment exercise followed by a competency-based interview. ECA does not describe its stages, but says that only finalists are contacted, that unsuccessful applicants get no feedback, that incomplete submissions are not reviewed and that if you apply more than once only your latest submission is considered. None of the three postings says whether you may apply to more than one host in the same year, so if you plan to, treat each as a complete, separate application.

What the money does and does not cover

The Foundation states the stipend as US$100,000, paid monthly by the host. The host postings do not give an amount themselves. Travel to take up the post and to return home is paid from the Foundation’s funds, and travel for work during the year is paid by the host. This is a fellowship, not a staff job, so it does not lead to a permanent post. The African Development Bank adds that a fellow cannot be recruited as Bank staff for one year after the fellowship ends. Health cover needs checking before you accept: ECA says the fellow covers their own medical insurance, child education and retirement arrangements, the AfDB says the Foundation will ensure the fellow has their own, and the ITC posting does not mention it. ITC also says the stipend covers the normal living costs of one person, with no allowances for dependants and no help for family members to get permits, and advises fellows not to bring family. ITC’s fellowship starts in June 2027, and the AfDB and ECA postings give no start date.

How it differs from the Foundation’s university scholarships

The Foundation also funds master’s study for younger Africans, such as the Mo Ibrahim Foundation Scholarship at the University of Birmingham. That is a degree for recent graduates. The Leadership Fellowship is the opposite: you must already hold a master’s degree and have seven years of work behind you, and the year is spent working inside a policy office, not studying. Fellows also join the Foundation’s Now Generation Network. For other routes for African professionals, see our guide to where the money actually is.