Open Africa Power 2020 for Young African Leaders – Call for applications

Enel Foundation announced today the launch of the Open Africa Power 2020 call for applications and confirmed the new edition will start in February 2020. 

Application Deadline: 31st October 2019

Eligible Countries: African countries

To be taken at (country): South Africa

About the Award: The third edition of the flagship training initiative will host its African residential module in South Africa, in partnership with the Graduate School of Business at the prestigious University of Cape Town.

The call for applications is open from Oct 1^st to Oct 31^st to high-profile African students undergoing or having completed Master’s, MBA or PhD studies in African universities. After receiving more than 400 applications in the previous edition, Open Africa Power is welcoming candidates who want to acquire an holistic know-how of the electricity sector, enhancing their technical, regulatory and business skills required to work in the private and public sector towards the electrification of Africa. African candidates currently living abroad but wanting to relocate back to Africa will also be admitted, as one of the program’s aims is to contribute to talent retention in the continent.

Open Africa Power program is open to high-profile African graduates wishing to acquire an holistic knowhow of the electricity sector, enhancing the technical, regulatory and business skills required to work in the private and public sector towards the electrification of Africa. Precisely for this reason, from this year, candidates living abroad but wanting to relocate back to Africa will also be admitted.

Each OAP lasts six months with two residential training modules (one opening week in Africa and two closing weeks in Italy) and an online learning module in-between. Rolled out in 2018, the first edition of Open Africa Power attracted over 140 applicants from nine African countries while in 2019 the number of applications grew to more than 400 from 37 different nations.

Type: Training

Eligibility: The Open Africa Power selection process is an open, merit-based, competition.

To be eligible candidates must meet the following criteria:

• Be between the ages of 24 and 35 by January, 2020;
• Be a citizen of an African country;
• Currently resident in an African country or planning to relocate in Africa within the end of 2020;
• Be eligible to travel to Italy in case of admission to the second module;
• Have at least a Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Law or Business from an African University;
• Have an admission letter to or being a student of a PhD MSc, LLM, MPP or MBA degree from an African University;
• Have a demonstrated interest in the electricity sector in the African Continent;
• Be fully proficient in English.

Number of Awards: up to 60

Value of Award: Open Africa Power’s third edition, taking place in 2020, will engage up to 60 African students and alumni in a series of professional development and leadership activities, comprising residential training modules in South Africa in 2020.

Duration of Programme: 6 months

How to Apply: Enel Foundation invites interested candidates to read carefully the call for applications available at Enel Foundation website and those fulfilling the required criteria to submit their applications via the dedicated online platform until October 31^st 2019. After visiting Kenya and Ethiopia in the previous editions, Open Africa Power will land in one of Africa’s most important power market hubs and a country facing relevant energy challenges that require a new generation of young, skilled and talented leaders.

Visit Programme Webpage for Details