THE NEXTGEN PROGRAM FOR ASPIRING POLICYMAKERS
ABOUT THE PROGRAMME
The “NextGen” program for aspiring policymakers is a part-time, advanced training program designed to deliver a 360 skills upgrade, fully funded, to selected cohorts of African leaders with strong potential to shape the continent’s future policymaking landscape. Participants will gain both policy expertise on the most pressing development challenges facing Africa and the leadership skills needed to drive meaningful change. The training will be delivered by experts from the IMF, the World Bank, and other leading research institutions, alongside senior African policymakers with direct experience navigating Africa’s political and economic challenges. The program combines structured online learning with residential training sessions—enabling deep peer learning within a continent-wide professional network.
The program is delivered under the AfriCatalyst Institute for Sustainable Development, a Pan-African centre of excellence dedicated to equipping the next generation of African policymakers and development leaders with the knowledge, tools, and networks to design and implement context-fit solutions to Africa’s most pressing challenges.
WHAT PARTICIPANTS GAIN
-
Expertise: Participants will receive advanced training on development challenges facing African policymakers—e.g., how to design a sound national development strategy; how to efficiently raise revenues, allocate spending, and effectively manage public debt; how to adapt to climate change, etc. Policy-oriented courses will be delivered during intensive quarterly training sessions in Dakar, Senegal.
-
Practical leadership skills: Participants will benefit from monthly online leadership lectures from distinguished current and former African policymakers, who will prepare participants on the realities of leading change in an African context.
-
Career mentorship: Participants will be assigned mentors for one-on-one career guidance within a pool of experienced current and former African policymakers.
-
A global network: The program offers an opportunity to join a network of peers, global experts, and thematic communities of practices centered around key development challenges.
WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR
We seek mid-career African professionals who are passionate about Africa’s development and with an ambition to impact public policies in their own countries. Strong candidates will typically have:
- At least five years of professional experience in economic policy, public administration, development finance, or applied economic research, with a strong academic background in economics and finance.
- A current or recent role in government, a central bank, a regional economic body, a university, or a research or policy institution.
- A strong commitment to learning and continued skills development, including meeting attendance requirements and completing post training assessments.
- Institutional support from their organizations and senior managers to honor the programme’s time commitment, including residential sessions in Dakar and monthly half-day online lectures.
Applications are open to nationals of all 54 African Union member states. We actively encourage applications from women and from professionals in underrepresented regions and institutions. We select for impact potential, not institutional prestige.
HOW TO APPLY
The deadline for application is June 30th 2026. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis and early submission is strongly encouraged.
Application Requirements
- Resume with academic credentials and language skills,
- A motivation letter (i) expressing (and if possible illustrating with concrete examples) the candidate’s commitment and passion for the development of his/her country (ii) how this training would contribute to his/her career objectives, and (iii) why he/she would be a good fit for the program
- Letter from the candidate’s Senior manager (i) supporting his/her candidacy and (ii) committing to giving the candidate the necessary space to pursue this training.