Obama Foundation Leaders Africa Program 2025-2026

Applications for the Obama Foundation Leaders Africa Program 2025-2026 are now open.

The Obama Foundation Leaders Africa program seeks to build a growing network of innovative and values-based changemakers who will drive positive change in their communities, the continent, and the world.

During the Obamas’ tenure in the White House, they traveled across the African continent and witnessed incredible stories of young African leaders carrying the baton for change.

Since then, they’ve formed partnerships to expand opportunities and create new connections for passionate leaders, beginning with the inaugural Leaders Africa program in 2018.

Leaders Africa is a six-month, non-residential, virtual leadership journey for 34 emerging leaders from across the continent focused on exploring values-based leadership skills and building deep relationships with fellow cohort members.

The virtual Leaders Africa program seeks to identify exceptional leaders in public, civil society, and the private sector who have a clear issue-focus and who can illustrate the impact of their work.

Our objective is to build a network of values-based leaders, who create positive, innovative change in their communities, throughout Africa, and around the world.

Benefits

Participants selected for the Obama Foundation Leaders program incur no fees.

Eligibility

Open to individuals residing in all countries and territories in the continent of Africa.
You must meet one of the following criteria:
- Citizen of an African country or territory OR
- Permanent resident of an African country or territory OR
- Have lived in an African country or territory for at least the last 5 years, regardless of citizenship or permanent residence status
Your work is geographically focused on creating positive change for local communities, an African nation or territory, and/or the broader Africa region. You demonstrate a strong commitment to continue to focus your work in the Africa region.
You are professionally proficient in English and you will be between 24 and 45 years of age on September 1, 2025.
You will refrain from participating in an electoral campaign as a candidate for political office from the time you are accepted into the program through May 1, 2026. Selection decisions are currently scheduled to be sent out in June 2025.
You can demonstrate at least 3 years of relevant experience in your issue area.
The Obama Foundation is based in the United States. To participate in the program, you must be under no legal or regulatory restrictions that would limit your participation in virtual Foundation programming or travel to the U.S. for in-person programming (if any).

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