The World Bank Group (WBG) Africa Fellowship Program targets young talented African nationals who are completing or have recently completed their Ph.D. in an area relevant to the World Bank’s work. The fellowship program has been very successful since its inception, building a strong pipeline of young African talent interested in a career in development, in international institutions, African governments, think tanks, and academia.

The program offers selected fellows a six-month assignment at WBG offices in Washington D.C. or in country offices to gain hands-on experience in WBG operations. This includes knowledge generation and dissemination, design of global and country policies, and the building of institutions to achieve inclusive growth in developing countries. While benefitting from research and innovation in multiple sectors, fellows will also work on research, economic policy, technical assistance, and lending operations that contribute to the World Bank’s goal of eliminating poverty and increasing shared prosperity. Through the fellowship, we aim to build the capacity of the next generation of African change makers in development research, policymaking and promote the goals of reducing poverty in the region.  

MAIN ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

• Be a recent Ph.D. graduate (within three years of completion) or be enrolled in the last year of the Ph.D. program
• Have an excellent command of English, both written and verbal 
• Possess strong quantitative and analytical skills 
• Be under the age of 32 by the closing of the application period, January 1, 2022

SELECTION PROCESS

The selection process consists of two phases: 

Phase I: A short-list of candidates will be made available for hire for the different units of the WBG depending on the applicants’ specialization. Applicants will be notified about the status of their application or whether they have been shortlisted or not.

Phase II: The final list of fellows will be selected in consultation with the various units of the WBG. When the selection is complete, all shortlisted candidates will be informed of their selection status. Selected candidates will then be notified and, upon acceptance, be hired as short-term consultants for six months starting January 2022.

Fellows are eligible to receive consultant fees and round-trip economy class air travel to Washington, D.C. or a WBG country office from their university or institution.  

Apply for the 2022 WBG Africa Fellowship Program: https://wbgfellowship.worldbank.org/