Acumen West Africa Fellowship
Acumen Academy
Fully funded six-month hybrid leadership fellowship for c. 20 social-change leaders from Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Liberia and The Gambia who are building organisations tackling poverty. Requires 5+ years' work experience; in-person immersives held in Accra and Lagos.
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Eligibility
- Who can apply
- Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Gambia
- Education required
- None
- Age
- from 18 (Must be over 18)
- Work experience
- 5+ years
- Fields
- Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Development studies
- Language
- English proficiency (all sessions in English)
- Residency
- Working in Sierra Leone, Ghana, Nigeria, Liberia or The Gambia
- Also required
- Currently leading or integral to building an organisation/initiative whose mission is to eradicate poverty
- Not a previous Acumen Fellow
- Able to attend all in-person immersives
About this opportunity
The Acumen West Africa Fellowship is a six-month hybrid leadership programme for people leading or integral to building an organisation whose mission is to eradicate poverty. It combines a three-day virtual orientation, two five-day in-person immersives (previously in Accra and Lagos), four learning labs and self-paced work, with about 20 Fellows per cohort.
Applicants must be over 18, based in Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Liberia or The Gambia, have at least five years of work experience (typical Fellows have 10-15) and be proficient in English. The Fellowship is fully funded: Acumen covers programme costs, lodging and food at immersives and in-country travel, but not international travel. The official page still shows the 2025 cohort (applications closed 25 Nov 2024); in 2026 Acumen ran a separate Green RISE West Africa Fellowship for climate entrepreneurs (deadline 11 May 2026).
- Level
- Early career, Any level
- Where
- Ghana, Nigeria
- Duration
- 6-month hybrid programme: 3-day virtual orientation, two 5-day in-person immersives, four learning labs
- Number of awards
- Approx. 20 Fellows per cohort
- Difficulty
- High · about 4 weeks to prepare
Funding
Fully funded
- training
- accommodation
- travel
Fully funded: all programme-related expenses including lodging and food at immersives; in-country travel covered, international travel not funded
What you will need
- Essays
- Other documents
Online application with essays (see Acumen Application Toolkit); contact details of two professional references requested at later selection stages; selection conference for finalists.
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