The primary objectives of the Internship Program at the African Development Bank Group are to deepen the Bank's efforts to advance development within its regional member countries (RMC) through capacity building activities. The broad objectives of the Program are to provide the opportunity to acquire and develop the ability to work in an international environment, provide the Bank a pool of potential candidates in the future and enhance the visibility of the Bank and its development activities.
The African Development Bank’s internship program aims to deliver on the strategic focus of the Bank’s Ten-Year Strategy. Its priority areas are commonly referred to as the Four Cardinal Points.
- Unlocking Capital at Scale
- Africa needs to mobilize domestic, regional, and international resources, leveraging every dollar into ten dollars. We need to expand innovative financing and strengthen regional banks, pension funds, and risk-sharing facilities.
- Africa’s Financial Architecture needs to be reformed
- Africa needs to consolidate fragmented institutions into a coherent pan-African system; enhance debt sustainability, domestic tax mobilization, and fiscal reforms, which will help position Africa to influence global financial governance and ratings.
- Harnessing Demographic Transformation
- Africa needs to formalize the informal sector and create pathways for decent jobs. Empower women and youth through targeted finance, training, and entrepreneurship, and be innovative.
- Building Climate-Resilient Infrastructure & Value Addition
- Africa needs to invest in renewable energy, resilient infrastructure, and regional corridors. We need to move away from raw exports to local beneficiation and industrial value chains and pursue a just and inclusive energy transition.
Internship Program Objectives
- Provide students with the ability to work in an international environment;
- Provide the Bank with a pool of potential candidates in the future; and
- Enhance the visibility of the Bank and its development activities.
FocusAreas for the 2026 internship program
In addition to the Bank’s job categories, the focus will be on the following sectors:
- Power, Energy, Climate and Green Growth
- Agriculture, Human and Social Development
- Private Sector, Infrastructure and Industrialization
- Economy, Statistics
- Governance and Knowledge Management
- Finance
- Law
- Human Resources and Corporates Services: IT, Language Services, General Service & Procurement, HR Management
- Audit, Anti-corruption
- Evaluation
- Communication & External Relations
- Public Relations
- Environmental and Social Assessment
- Gender
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African Development Bank Group (AfDB) Internship
Aim and Benefits of African Development Bank Group (AfDB) Internship
- Interns will be responsible for their air travel (in case of on-site internship) to and from the Bank’s location and their upkeep.
- Interns will receive medical insurance paid by the Bank during their internship.
- The Bank will use reasonable efforts to assist interns in obtaining entry and residence visas.
- The internship will be authorized once only for any candidate.
- Eligible interns will receive a monthly stipend.
- Interns may be authorized to participate in an official Bank mission.
- Internships will take place either at Bank headquarters in Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire) or in regional and country offices, either remotely or on-site depending on the needs of the hiring units.
Requirements for African Development Bank Group (AfDB) Internship Qualification
- Must be 30 years old or younger by 31 December 2026.
- Hold a bachelor’s degree and be enrolled in a master’s degree program in a recognized public or private institution of higher learning OR be applying for the internship within one year of having obtained a master’s degree.
- Proof of enrollment in a university / professional institution/ school.
- Citizen of a Bank member country.
- Able to communicate effectively (in writing and orally) in English or French, with a working knowledge of the other language.
- Female candidates are encouraged to apply.
In addition to the above selection criteria, preference will be given to candidates who demonstrate the following:
- Adaptability to multicultural settings.
- Good communication skills.
- Working knowledge of a third language relevant to the Bank's operations.
- Experience on projects that have a direct bearing on the Bank’s mission.
The Bank aims to select candidates with professional degrees in the following disciplines:
- Power, Energy, Climate and Green Growth
- Agriculture, Human and Social Development
- Private Sector, Infrastructure and Industrialization
- Economics, Statistics
- Governance and Knowledge Management
- Finance
- Legal
- Human Resources and Corporate Services: IT, Language Services, General Service & Procurement, HR Management
- Audit, Anti-corruption
- Evaluation
- Communication & External Relations
- Public Relations
- Gender
- Environmental and social assessment
Interview date, Process and Venue for African Development Bank Group (AfDB) Internship
- Selected candidates will receive an official offer and are expected to start the Internship Program from 16th May 2026 onwards.
- The selected candidates must submit a written acceptance of the offer via email within one week of notification otherwise the offer will be proposed to the next candidate on the reserve list. Offers of internships are only valid for the same program year and cannot be deferred to the following year.
Documents Required for Application
Check also:
Erasmus Mundus Scholarship 2027
Global Korea Scholarship 2027
Application Deadline
April 8, 2026How to Apply
- Regular Staff
- If you are currently working at the African Development Bank as a regular staff, click on the button below to apply for this position.
- External Candidate
- If you are not currently working at the African Development Bank, or if you are a Short Term Staff (STS), a Technical Assistant or a Consultant at the Bank, click on the button below to apply for the position.
To apply for this position, you need to be national of one of AfDB member countries.
The application checklist is intended to facilitate your application process.
- Create an account by filling in your online application form.
- Provide an email address. If possible, include a second email address. Fill in the correct email address, as this will be the main means of communication with you.
- Provide the most current contact information.
- Complete the application in a single session.
- Complete phone number (country code + city code + number).
Upload all following mandatory documents: Upload all following mandatory documents:
- Maximum two-page Curriculum Vitae in Microsoft Word or PDF format.
- Copy of school enrollment certificate for a master’s degree or a master’s degree certificate.
- Letter of Motivation.
Due to the high volume of responses received, only electronic confirmations of receipt will be issued. If you do not hear from AfDB by 10th May 2026,then your application would not have been considered successful for Session 2 of the 2026 intake.
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 [email protected]
For more information, kindly visit AfDB Internship webpage.
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