AFDB Internship Programme for Africans, 2026

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The African Development Bank (AFDB) is inviting applications from suitably qualified candidates for its internship programme. This article contains all you need to know about the eligibility criteria, mode of application and deadline.

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Objectives of AFDB Internship

The broad objectives of the program are to:

• Provide students with an opportunity to acquire professional and practical experience at the African Development Bank.
• Provide the Bank with a pool of potential candidates for future recruitment purposes.
• However, applicants should not expect the internship to lead to immediate employment with the Bank.

Location: Selected candidates will be deployed in various Departments at Headquarters (Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire), Bank’s Regional and Country Offices. However, selected interns will perform their internship either remotely or on-site depending on the needs of their respective hiring units.

Timeline

Session 1 of the 2026 Internship Program will commence in January 2026. 

Terms and Conditions

• Internships shall be granted to each candidate for a period not less than three (3) months and not more than six (6) months. The internship is authorized only once for any candidate.
• Selected interns will perform their internship either remotely or on-site depending on the needs of their respective hiring units. Remote interns are expected to have access to a personal computer, reliable internet connection and a conducive living environment that facilitates smooth and uninterrupted remote working.
• On-site interns shall be responsible for their air travel (in case of) to and from the Bank’s location as well as their upkeep.
• The Bank will use reasonable efforts to assist the concerned interns in obtaining their entry and residence visas.
• Eligible Interns will benefit from a medical insurance coverage paid by the Bank during the period of their internship. 
• Eligible interns will be provided with a monthly stipend.

Also See: ECOWAS Young Graduate Immersion Programme

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for internship, applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Must have attained the age of majority in their country of nationality or origin and be not more than Thirty (30) years old at the time of commencement of the internship program.
• Be currently enrolled in a master’s level degree program in a recognized public or private educational institution of higher learning.
• The candidate can apply for an internship within one (1) year of having obtained such a degree.
• Be nationals of the member Countries of the African Development Bank.
• Provide a letter from their school confirming their enrollment or a copy of the above-mentioned Degree. Applicants must be fluent in at least one of the Banks’s two working languages (English or French).
• Be able to use the Bank's standard software packages (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access); knowledge of SAP is desirable.

Strategic Focus Areas for AFDB Internship

The specific disciplines and specialist professional areas are aligned to the Bank’s Ten-Year Strategy (TYS) and the gender strategy.  In addition to the fields that are in the job families of the Bank, focus will be on the following areas:

• Agriculture
•  Human Capital
•  Engineering
•  Investment
•  Operations management & programming
•  Sustainability
•  Procurement
•  Delivery & Performance Monitoring
•  Risk Management
•  Finance
•  Capacity Development
•  Governance, Natural Resource and Knowledge Management
•  Economics, Statistics and Data Management
•  Human Resources Management
•  Information Management Technology
•  Real Estate Management and Services
•  Translation and Interpretation
•  Communication
•  Legal
• Corporate Governance and Advisory Functions or any other field of study that the Bank may deem relevant to its operations

Special consideration shall be given to students who are working on projects which have a direct bearing on the mission of the Bank.

Also See: NCDMB Oil and Gas Field Readiness Training Programme for Nigerians

How to Apply for AFDB Internship Programme

To commence your application, click the link below:

APPLY HERE

Applicants will only be considered if they submit an online complete application and attach a comprehensive Curriculum Vitae (CV).

The Bank runs two (2) internship sessions per year. The selection process for session 2 of the 2025 Internship Program has been completed and selected interns are onboard. This announcement is for session 1 of the 2026 Internship Program, which will commence in January 2026.

The announcement for session 2 of the 2026 Internship Program will be made in April 2026 and selected interns will commence in July 2026.

Should you encounter technical difficulties in submitting your application, please send an email with a precise description of the issue and/or a screenshot showing the problem to: HR Direct HRDirect@AFDB.ORG

Application Deadline

Entries for application closes on 14th November, 2025.