The Africa NextGen Economist Prize 2026 celebrates exceptional young economists whose research addresses Africa’s most pressing economic challenges. This prestigious €10,000 award recognizes scholars under 40 who develop innovative concepts grounded in African realities and capable of influencing policy decisions across the continent.
Prize Overview and Vision
Organized by The Africa Report and Jeune Afrique in partnership with the African Development Bank, this prize identifies and elevates economists whose work provides practical solutions to continental challenges. The initiative aims to bridge the gap between academic research and policy implementation, ensuring that African economic scholarship directly informs development strategies.
The Need for African-Centered Economic Research
Africa requires economic frameworks designed for its specific contexts rather than approaches borrowed from other regions. The continent faces unique challenges, including rapid urbanization, demographic transition, resource management complexities, and economic integration across diverse political systems.
This prize recognizes that effective solutions emerge from researchers who deeply understand African economic realities and can translate theoretical insights into actionable policy recommendations.
Also Apply For: African STARS Fellowship Programme 2026
Prize Goals and Objectives
The Africa NextGen Economist Prize pursues three interconnected aims:
Highlight Original African-Focused Research
The prize spotlights scholarly work deeply rooted in Africa’s economic issues, recognizing research that moves beyond applying Western economic models to actively developing frameworks suited to African conditions.
Facilitate Policy Influence
By connecting researchers with decision-makers through high-profile recognition and media coverage, the prize ensures that innovative economic research circulates among those positioned to implement policy changes.
Inspire Future Economic Researchers
Recognition of young economists demonstrates viable career paths in African economic research, encouraging emerging scholars to engage with continental development challenges through rigorous academic inquiry.
Eligibility Requirements
The prize seeks accomplished young economists meeting specific criteria:
Educational Qualification
Candidates must hold PhD degrees in economics, development studies, or closely related fields. The doctoral credential ensures recipients have demonstrated advanced research capabilities and contribute meaningful scholarly work.
Age Requirement
Applicants must be under 40 years old as of March 31, 2026. This threshold ensures the prize recognizes emerging rather than established voices, supporting early-career researchers as they build influence.
Nationality
Candidates must be citizens of any of Africa’s 54 nations, ensuring the prize recognizes scholars from across the continent’s diverse regions and contexts.
Research Relevance
Submitted work must be substantially applicable to African economic contexts. Research need not focus exclusively on Africa but should offer significant insights relevant to continental development challenges.
Comprehensive Prize Package
Winners receive multi-faceted recognition and support valued at €10,000 plus additional benefits:
Financial Award
€10,000 grant providing resources for continued research, conference participation, fieldwork, or other professional development supporting the economist’s work.
Advanced Training Opportunity
Online training course from Ferdi (Foundation for Studies and Research on International Development), offering specialized knowledge from a leading development research institution.
Media Platform and Visibility
Feature interviews published in both Jeune Afrique and The Africa Report—two of Africa’s most influential business and policy publications. This exposure connects winners with policymakers, business leaders, and fellow researchers across the continent and globally.
Prestigious Recognition Ceremony
Formal award presentation at the Africa CEO Forum 2026 in Kigali, Rwanda (May 14-15, 2026). This high-profile business gathering brings together Africa’s most influential economic actors, providing unparalleled networking opportunities.
Professional Network Access
Connection to the prize’s distinguished jury panel and broader network of economists, policymakers, and development professionals, facilitating future collaborations and research partnerships.
Application Process and Requirements
Submission Deadline
Applications must be received by February 15, 2026, via email to: africanextgen.economistprize@jeuneafrique.com
Required Application Materials
Comprehensive Curriculum Vitae: Detailed academic and professional background including education, publications, research projects, teaching experience, policy engagement, and professional affiliations.
Three Representative Publications: The most significant scholarly outputs demonstrating research quality, originality, and relevance to African economic challenges. Publications may include peer-reviewed journal articles, working papers, book chapters, or policy briefs.
One-Page Research Summary: Concise document addressing three key elements:
- Personal research interests and focus areas
- Originality and innovative aspects of your economic research
- Applicability and relevance to African economic development
Application Strategy Tips
Select Publications Strategically: Choose works that best demonstrate both scholarly rigor and practical relevance to African contexts rather than simply your most recent outputs.
Articulate Clear African Connections: Explicitly explain how your research applies to African economic challenges, even if your work includes comparative or theoretical elements.
Demonstrate Policy Relevance: Show how your research informs or could inform actual policy decisions, moving beyond purely academic contributions.
Highlight Innovation: Clearly explain what distinguishes your approach from existing economic frameworks and why your perspective matters for African development.
Rigorous Two-Stage Selection Process
Stage 1: Expert Independent Review
The Foundation for Studies and Research on International Development (Ferdi) conducts initial evaluation in collaboration with editorial teams from Jeune Afrique and The Africa Report. This stage assesses:
- Research quality and methodological rigor
- Originality and innovative contributions to economic thought
- Relevance to African economic challenges
- Potential for policy influence
- Publication quality and scholarly impact
This independent review produces a shortlist of finalists advancing to jury consideration.
Stage 2: Jury Deliberation and Selection
A distinguished panel of leading economists and policymakers reviews shortlisted candidates and selects the prize winner through collective deliberation.
Distinguished Jury Panel
The 2026 prize is evaluated by accomplished professionals bringing diverse perspectives:
Anthony Simpasa – African Development Bank, Macroeconomic Policy Director. Expertise in African macroeconomic policy design and implementation.
Vera Songwe – Chair, Liquidity and Sustainability Facility. Former Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Africa, leading voice on African development financing.
Daouda Sembene – Director, Africatalyst. Expert in African debt sustainability and economic policy advocacy.
Mahmoud Mohieldin – UN Special Envoy on Financing the 2030 Agenda. Authority on sustainable development financing and international economic cooperation.
Grieve Chelwa – Director, The Africa Institute. Scholar focused on African political economy and development challenges.
Karim El Aynaoui – Executive President, Policy Centre for the New South. Leading thinker on North African and broader continental economic integration.
This diverse panel ensures evaluation from multiple perspectives including multilateral institutions, academic research centers, policy advocacy organizations, and regional expertise.
Critical Economic Questions the Prize Addresses
The prize recognizes research engaging with fundamental questions shaping Africa’s economic future:
Development Model Appropriateness
What development approaches suit Africa’s diverse contexts? How should the continent balance industrialization, agricultural transformation, and service sector growth?
Policy Framework Design
How should African nations structure industrial policies supporting manufacturing? What monetary policy approaches best serve continental needs? How can trade policies maximize regional and global economic opportunities?
Economic Integration Pathways
What strategies advance meaningful African economic integration? How can continental free trade agreements translate into actual economic coordination and shared prosperity?
Debt Sustainability Management
How should African nations navigate debt challenges while maintaining investment in critical development priorities? What frameworks ensure sustainable borrowing and productive debt utilization?
Contemporary Challenge Response
How should Africa approach rapid population growth as both opportunity and challenge? What strategies optimize resource utilization amid increasing demand? How can the continent leverage digital transformation and navigate energy transition while ensuring inclusive development?
Award Ceremony Context
Africa CEO Forum 2026
The winner receives recognition at Africa’s premier business leadership gathering, held May 14-15, 2026, in Kigali, Rwanda. This forum convenes CEOs, heads of state, investors, and development partners discussing Africa’s economic trajectory.
Recognition at this venue positions the winner within Africa’s most influential economic conversations, providing visibility among those who shape investment decisions, policy directions, and business strategies across the continent.
Why This Prize Matters
African economic development faces unprecedented complexity. Climate change, technological disruption, demographic shifts, and evolving global economic relationships create both challenges and opportunities requiring sophisticated analysis grounded in African realities.
Too often, economic policy prescriptions applied to Africa originate from contexts with fundamentally different conditions. This prize recognizes researchers developing frameworks specifically suited to African contexts—work that respects the continent’s diversity while identifying patterns and approaches applicable across multiple countries.
By elevating young economists conducting this crucial work, the prize:
- Validates African-centered research as essential rather than supplementary to global economic thought
- Creates role models inspiring emerging researchers to pursue careers in African economic scholarship
- Connects researchers to policymakers, increasing the likelihood that innovative research actually influences decisions
- Builds continental research networks, facilitating collaboration across countries and institutions
- Demonstrates career viability in African economic research, helping retain talent on the continent
Long-Term Impact
Previous recognition of young African economists has demonstrated significant career acceleration effects. Award winners often:
- Receive invitations to advise governments and international organizations
- Secure research funding more readily for subsequent projects
- Gain faculty positions at leading universities
- Publish in higher-impact venues
- Influence policy debates on continental and national levels
- Mentor the next generation of African economic researchers
The €10,000 grant, while significant, represents only part of the prize’s value. The visibility, credibility, and networks gained through recognition often prove more valuable over career trajectories.
Preparing Your Application
Start Early
Gather materials well before the February 15 deadline. Selecting your three best publications, crafting a compelling one-page summary, and preparing a comprehensive CV requires thoughtful reflection.
Seek Feedback
Share your one-page summary with mentors or colleagues familiar with your work. External perspectives help identify which aspects of your research most clearly demonstrate innovation and African relevance.
Emphasize Practical Applications
While maintaining scholarly rigor, explain how your research could inform actual policy decisions or business strategies. Demonstrate that you think beyond academic contribution to real-world impact.
Showcase Distinctiveness
Clearly articulate what makes your economic thinking unique. What insights emerge from your African focus that wouldn’t surface from conventional approaches?
Take Your Next Step
If you’re a young economist whose research addresses African economic challenges with innovative thinking and practical relevance, this prize offers exceptional recognition and support. The application deadline of February 15, 2026, approaches—begin preparing your materials now.
Your research may hold keys to Africa’s economic transformation. This prize ensures your work reaches those who can turn insights into action.
For questions or additional information, visit the Africa NextGen Economist Prize.
