2027 Mo Ibrahim Foundation Leadership Fellowship at UNECA

Applications are open for the 2027 Mo Ibrahim Foundation Leadership Fellowship Programme at the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA).

This is a 12-month professional fellowship in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, designed for African professionals with substantial work experience and an interest in leadership, public policy and Africa’s development.

The selected fellow will contribute to ECA’s work while receiving mentorship from the Executive Secretary and/or a designated representative in the Office of the Executive Secretary. Official fellowship announcement and vacancy document.

Application deadline: 20 November 2026 at 11:59 p.m. (23:59), Addis Ababa time (GMT +3).

Fellowship benefits

The Mo Ibrahim Foundation lists a $100,000 stipend for its 12-month Leadership Fellowships. The ECA vacancy confirms that the Foundation finances an annual stipend, paid monthly by ECA, although the vacancy document does not repeat the amount. Mo Ibrahim Foundation fellowship information.

For the ECA placement, support includes:

• Mentorship from the Executive Secretary or a designated representative.
• Practical experience in institutional leadership, policy development and strategic planning.
• Official mission travel expenses, including travel insurance, covered by ECA.
• Travel to take up the fellowship and repatriation at the end of the appointment, funded by the Foundation.
• An invitation to participate in the Foundation’s annual Forum.

You must arrange and cover your own medical insurance, children’s education and retirement provisions. The appointment lasts no more than 12 months and does not confer regular United Nations Secretariat/ECA staff status. ECA fellowship terms.

Following the fellowship, participants join the Now Generation Network (NGN), which connects African professionals involved in the Foundation’s programmes. Foundation’s 2027 announcement.

Number of fellowships available

This vacancy is for one fellowship placement at ECA.

The wider Ibrahim Leadership Fellowships programme selects three fellows annually across three host institutions: the African Development Bank Group, ECA and the International Trade Centre. That figure does not mean three places are available at ECA. Programme-wide fellowship information.

What you will do

Working with the Office of the Executive Secretary, you will help:

• Develop strategic initiatives supporting ECA’s priorities.
• Support the office’s programme and administrative work.
• Design and implement approaches to regional integration.
• Develop ideas that strengthen ECA’s development policies.
• Review reports and financial statements to assess progress and inform revised plans.

The role combines practical assignments with leadership development. Full duties and responsibilities.

Eligibility criteria

Nationality, residence and age

You must:

• Be a national of an ECA member State. You may reside anywhere in the world.
• Be under 40 on 20 November 2026.
• Not be an employee of the United Nations Secretariat/ECA.

ECA will also consider women with children who are under 45 on 20 November 2026.

Education

You must hold at least a master’s degree in one of the following fields, or another discipline relevant to ECA’s work:

• Economics.
• Social Sciences.
• International Development.
• Business Administration.
• Law.
• Finance.
• Engineering.

Professional experience

You should have at least seven years of relevant work experience.

Your experience should demonstrate strategic planning, policy development, negotiation, organisational change and socioeconomic research or analysis. You should also be able to work with government officials and diverse stakeholders, collaborate effectively and manage several assignments.

Experience working on African issues is an advantage.

Language and computer skills

You must be fluent in English or French. Working knowledge of the other language is desirable.

You also need proficiency with the internet and standard word-processing, spreadsheet and presentation software. Applications must be prepared in English or French. Complete ECA eligibility requirements.

How to apply

The application requires four mandatory components: an Administrative Profile, degree certificates, three recommendation letters and completion of an online survey.

1. Create your UN Administrative Profile

Register or sign in through UN Inspira, create a draft application and complete your UN Administrative Profile (AP).

Include your education, training, language abilities and professional experience. Your cover or motivation letter must be included within the AP.

Save the completed profile as a PDF using the instructions and example provided in the vacancy document.

There is no fellowship job opening to apply to within Inspira. You use Inspira to generate the profile, then attach it to your application email. ECA cannot retrieve your saved draft from the system.

2. Prepare your degree certificates

Scan the certificates for your relevant master’s degrees and any doctoral or other terminal degrees.

Save the documents as PDFs.

3. Obtain three recommendation letters

Ask your referees to address their letters to:

2027 ECA Mo Ibrahim Leadership Fellow Selection Committee

Your referees must send their letters to you, so you can include all three in your application email.

Letters sent directly by referees to ECA will not be considered. An application missing any of the three letters will be treated as incomplete.

4. Complete the mandatory online survey

Complete the official fellowship survey before emailing your application.

Take a screenshot confirming that your responses were submitted, save it as a PDF and include it with your documents.

5. Email your complete application

Send all required documents together in one email to:

RecruitmentPPost@un.org

Use the following subject line, replacing the applicant-name placeholder with your own name:

ECA 2027 Mo Ibrahim Leadership Fellowship (Applicant Last Name, First Name)

Your submission should contain:

• Your completed AP, including the cover letter.
• Relevant degree certificates.
• All three recommendation letters.
• PDF confirmation of your survey submission.

Documents must be in PDF format. If compression is necessary, ECA permits a .zip file; other compression formats, including RAR, are not accepted.

Submit a complete package each time. If you send multiple submissions, ECA will review only the most recent one. Official application instructions.

Application deadline

20 November 2026, 11:59 p.m. (23:59), Addis Ababa time (GMT +3).

The application period runs from 21 September to 20 November 2026.

ECA states that late and incomplete applications will not be considered. Submit early enough to resolve problems generating your profile, collecting references or sending attachments. Official deadline.

Selection process

ECA will assess applicants primarily using the information in their Administrative Profiles, including their qualifications, experience and motivation.

The vacancy states that:

• Applications will be acknowledged within one week of receipt.
• Only finalists will be contacted about further consideration.
• Unsuccessful applicants will not receive individual feedback.
• The selected fellow will receive a Letter of Award before starting.

The current vacancy does not publish interview dates, a final decision date or an exact commencement date. Selection and notification details.

Official information and application

• Official vacancy: 2027 MIF Fellowship Programme — UNECA.
• Full application instructions: Download the official vacancy PDF.
• Programme information: Mo Ibrahim Foundation Leadership Fellowships.
• Application email: RecruitmentPPost@un.org.
• Technical help generating your AP: kassahunb@un.org.