African Union Digital and Innovation Fellowship: Empowering Tech Innovators in Africa(Fully-funded)|How to Apply/

Are you a tech innovator passionate about propelling change in Africa? Do you have what it takes to tackle complicated data management situations within the African Union (AU) system? If so, the AU Digital and Innovation Fellowship Program needs your expertise! 

About AU Digital and Innovation Fellowship

The African Union Digital and Innovation Fellowship Program is an active 12-month endeavor organized to place and deploy skilled tech innovators from across Africa to different departments and organs within the AU headquarters as ‘resident fellows’. These fellows will engross themselves in these departments, comprehending their systems, identifying data management challenges, and co-creating visionary solutions to address these challenges. The purpose is to improve data management processes and overall AU functions while guaranteeing the sustainability of the developed products and processes beyond the fellowship period by strengthening the internal capacity of AU staff.

The fellows will cooperate to create tailor-made products and procedures that better the AU’s mandate, especially in the domains of good management and citizen engagement. Moreover, the program seeks to facilitate conditions for long-term ability building within the host AU organs.

The inaugural cohort, launched in September 2021, successfully deployed 13 fellows to different AU units/organs, where they provided digital solutions to improve data management and operations.

This fellowship program is implemented through the BMZ Commission’s GIZ DataCipation program, which supports the AU and its organs in enhancing citizen engagement.

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for the AU Digital and Innovation Fellowship, applicants must:

• Be based in Africa and a national of an AU member state.
• Be under the age of 34 at the period of application.
• Have a tertiary education degree or its equal.
• Show the ability to analyze complicated situations and suggest adequate solutions.
• Have experience and technical expertise in developing innovative technology products/solutions.
• Be available to travel for an induction workshop and willing to dedicate 12 months to the fellowship.

Applicants fluent in more than one AU official language (Arabic, English, French, Portuguese, Spanish, and Swahili) are encouraged to apply.

Application and Selection Process

The application process for the AU Digital and Innovation Fellowship is open to all eligible candidates and is entirely merit-based.

• Stage 1: Submit your application online.
• Stage 2: Finalists will undergo interviews by AU departments/organs. The top 16 candidates will be selected as fellows and will attend a mandatory induction workshop and pre-deployment training before relocating to Addis Ababa for deployment.

Benefits of the Fellowship

Fellows selected for the AU Digital and Innovation Fellowship will enjoy numerous benefits, including:

• Participation in capacity-building training sessions facilitated by experts from the African innovation ecosystem.
• Mentorship from industry veterans within the AfriLabs community.
• Networking opportunities and peer-to-peer learning experiences.
• Monthly stipends throughout the fellowship period.
• All-expense-paid trips to ecosystem events, study tours, and more.
• Recognition as a fellow/alumni of the AU Digital and Innovation Fellowship Program.