African Development Bank Internship Program

The African Development Bank Internship Program places master’s students and recent graduates inside Africa’s premier development finance institution for three to six months, at the Abidjan headquarters, regional offices or remotely. Interns receive a monthly stipend and Bank-paid medical insurance while contributing to real work on infrastructure, climate, food systems and economic governance.

Applicants must be nationals of the Bank’s 81 member countries, enrolled in a master’s or within one year of finishing one, and no older than 30. Two sessions run each year, with the next application window expected from late October to mid-November 2026 for the January 2027 session.

• Nationals of the African Development Bank's 81 member countries (54 African countries plus non-regional members such as India, China, Turkey, the USA, Japan and Korea).
• Aged between the age of majority and 30 at the start of the internship.
• Currently enrolled in a master's degree program at a recognized institution, or within one year of having obtained the master's degree.
• Able to provide a letter from your school confirming enrollment, or a copy of the degree.
• Fluent in English or French, the Bank's two working languages; knowledge of both is an advantage.
• Disciplines span economics, finance, agriculture, engineering, data science, law, ICT, human resources, communications and more, aligned with the Bank's Ten-Year Strategy.
• One internship per person, ever, so time your application for maximum benefit.

• Work inside an AfDB department at the Abidjan headquarters, a regional or country office, or remotely depending on the hiring unit's needs.
• Support live development operations: research, data analysis, project documentation, policy notes and reporting.
• Contribute to work on the Bank's priorities, from infrastructure financing and food systems to climate resilience and governance.
• Collaborate with professionals from across the continent and the Bank's non-regional members.
• Deliver defined outputs to your unit and absorb how a multilateral development bank actually runs.
• Build relationships that feed the Bank's future recruitment pipeline, though employment is not guaranteed.

• Monthly stipend paid by the Bank for the duration of the internship.
• Medical insurance coverage paid by the Bank throughout the placement.
• Remote participation is possible for many units, removing relocation costs entirely.
• Two sessions per year (January and July starts), so there are two chances every year.
• Insider exposure to Africa's premier development finance institution, a strong signal for MDB, UN and government careers.
• Visa assistance from the Bank for on-site interns (travel and upkeep are the intern's own responsibility).

• Watch the AfDB internship page for the session windows: Session 1 applications for 2027 are expected from late October to mid-November 2026 (the 2026 window ran October 31 to November 14), with Session 2 around late March to early April 2027.
• Register on the AfDB online recruitment system and complete the application with a comprehensive CV.
• Declare one nationality if you hold dual citizenship, and upload your enrollment letter or master's degree.
• Only shortlisted candidates are contacted, typically within a month of the window closing.
• Offers specify your department, location or remote arrangement, and start date.
• The Bank never charges fees at any stage, so treat anyone requesting payment as a scammer.