A pipeline of African talent building pathways to leadership

There was a time when the Africa region relied heavily on international guidance for thought leadership in matters of governance, policy, advocacy and academia. I am happy to say that this is less and less the case, and the World Bank Africa Fellowship Program has been a meaningful contributor to nurturing home-grown talent.

Theophiline Boser-Durek, a public advocate and researcher in Ghana, Fatoumata Nankoto Cisse, now an adviser in Senegal’s presidency, and Eleni Yitbarek, a university professor in South Africa, are part of a new wave of African scholars, academics, and policy makers. They also share something in common. All three are alumnae of the World Bank Africa Fellowship Program. Since its launch in 2013, the program has helped build a pipeline of African thought leaders in international development.

Since completing her World Bank Africa Fellowship, Boser-Durek told me that she has focused on ensuring that Africa’s economic transformation works for everyone — especially women. At the African Center for Economic Transformation (ACET) in Accra, she manages initiatives within the Gender Equality Program that embed analysis into macroeconomic frameworks and national transformation strategies. She led the development of the African Women’s Inclusion Index (AWII) and co-authored the African Transformation Report, which explores women’s equality as both a driver and an outcome of economic transformation. Her work spans emerging areas such as the care economy, budgeting, and inclusive governance, while also mainstreaming gender across ACET’s research programs on economic management and governance, youth employment and skills, and digital policy.

After returning to Senegal, Cisse has moved to the public sector, working in the cabinet of President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, who in 2024 became the youngest president ever elected in the country. As an economist, Cisse collaborates closely with the permanent secretary on economic studies and forecasting issues to make the best strategic decisions on energy. Previously, when she joined the Development Impact Department team, at the World Bank Rwanda Country Office, she coordinated the impact assessment of Rwanda’s national electrification program.

Yitbarek, now an Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Pretoria, is a research fellow and a member of the Academy of Science of South Africa Standing Committee on Science for the Reduction of Poverty and Inequality. She has extensive experience designing and analyzing household survey data, applying advanced econometric and quantitative research methods. Her work is in leading peer reviewed journals and she continues to collaborate with the World Bank, UNDP, the European Investment Bank, among others.

In the past 12 years, the World Bank Africa Fellowship Program has hosted more than 270 Fellows, attracting and nurturing some of the continent’s most promising scholars.

As we prepare to announce the 2026 cohort, I reached out to these former fellows, not just to bask in their accomplishments, but hear how they are making a difference. Their experiences and knowledge bridge the gap between academic research and practical policy implementation, enriching the Bank’s work as well as many other institutions and nations.

Fatoumata, Theophiline, and Eleni answered a few questions, as voices of Africa’s future.

What do you think will be the most critical issues facing the Africa region in 2026?

Eleni: The most pressing challenges will be food insecurity, driven by climate change, food price inflation, conflict, and global shocks, alongside persistent inequality, and limited job creation for the region’s growing youth population. Climate shocks threaten agricultural productivity and food and nutrition security. Underdeveloped social protection systems exacerbate vulnerability. Without inclusive policies, such as shock-responsive social protection and investments in human capital accumulation of the youth, the region risks widening poverty and inequality that can undermine sustainable economic growth and development.

Fatoumata: Based on current global trends and the latest macroeconomic forecasts, African countries will face significant challenges regarding growth, debt, security, and employment. By strengthening their endogenous growth through the implementation of structural projects, African States can enhance job creation and promote the increase of resource mobilization capacities to reduce their external debts. Meanwhile, the benefits of inclusive growth within African economies will be one of the main factors in reducing internal and cross-border security tensions.

Theophiline: Africa’s most critical challenge in 2026 is ensuring that economic growth translates into equitable opportunities for all, particularly women and youth. Amid fiscal pressures, climate shocks, rapid technological change, and persistent social inequalities, countries must rethink macroeconomic policies to value unpaid care work, strengthen social protection systems, and close gender gaps in labor markets and productive sectors. Without deliberate, gender-responsive systems, Africa risks growing but not truly transforming in a sustainable and inclusive way.

How do you think you can make a difference through your work?

Eleni: Through my research, I aim to generate rigorous empirical evidence that informs inclusive and context-specific policies in Africa. For instance, my work on poverty and intergenerational mobility connects rigorous empirical analysis with actionable policy. However, beyond research, I am committed to nurturing the next generation of African economists through teaching and mentorship. I believe that equipping young researchers with analytical tools and a sense of purpose can have a multiplier effect. Collaborating with global development actors allows me to translate research into tangible policy outcomes.

Fatoumata: One of the main advocacies to Senegal’s president is that hydrocarbon revenues are distributed efficiently for current and future generations. Those revenues should also be used to finance high value-added projects in other sectors of the economy. For instance, the latest edition of the World Bank Africa’s Pulse forecasts that Senegal will experience a growth rate of 6.4% in 2025, half of which will be generated by oil and gas production. To that extent, the weight of hydrocarbons should not be the only driver of GDP growth in the country. Moreover, my work supports SOEs in the sector to develop the economic and financial components of their projects for significant impact.

Theophiline: I aim to make a difference by turning research and evidence into actionable policies. My work focuses on identifying the structural barriers that limit women’s economic opportunities and translating these insights into practical solutions for governments and institutions. Through initiatives like the African Women’s Inclusion Index, I provide tools that make gender gaps visible and inform strategies to close them. I also advocate passionately for stronger gender data systems, ensuring that women’s contributions and constraints are fully recognized and measured. By connecting evidence to decision-making, I help shape policies that advance inclusive growth and meaningful transformation across Africa.

What gives you the most hope for the future of the continent?

Eleni: Africa’s greatest hope lies in its young generation, which can

be empowered through education and technology. The optimism of the youth and the progress in technology, though not entirely inclusive, continue to give me hope for a better Africa. 

Fatoumata: With effective allocation of resources (financial, economic, energy, minerals) as well as an increasingly educated and confident youth, Africa will rapidly reach the level of middle- and high-income continents. To achieve this, public leaders must support and lay the foundations for this new dynamic.

Theophiline: What gives me hope is Africa’s growing community of changemakers, especially young women, who are redefining what leadership and inclusion look like. Across governments, academia, and civil society, I see a shared commitment to fairness and evidence. That collective energy is transforming gender equality from aspiration into action.