African Development Bank (AfDB) 2026 Internship Program for Young Africans

Applications are open for African Development Bank (AfDB) 2026 Internship Program for Young Africans. 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.

Full vacancy title: 2026 Internship Program – Session 1
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.
Posting Date: 31-Oct-2025
Closing Date: 14-Nov-2025

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.

Also Read: Discover fully funded bursaries and scholarships for African students. Study abroad or locally with financial aid for undergraduates, postgraduates & PhDs.

Focus Areas for Session 1 of the 2026 Intake

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

The Bank plans to recruit 40 interns as part of Session 1 of its 2026 Internship Program.

Program participants are selected on a competitive basis, reflecting the business needs of the Bank.

Minimum Requirements:

• Must be 30 years old or younger by 31 December 2025.
• 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.

Dates

The window for receiving applications for Session 1 of the 2026 Internship Program is 31 October to 14 November 2025. All applicants will receive email notification of the outcome of their application by 14 December 2025.

Application Procedure

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 [email protected]

For more Information: Visit the Website for African Development Bank Internship 2026