Jeune Afrique and The Africa Report have announced the launch of the Africa NextGen Economist Prize, a new award designed to recognise and promote outstanding young African economists under the age of 40 whose work is shaping economic thinking and public policy on the continent.
Established in partnership with the African Development Bank (AfDB), the prize seeks to spotlight a new generation of African economists producing rigorous, impactful research rooted in Africa’s realities.
The initiative aims to strengthen the visibility of African-led economic analysis in public debate and decision-making across governments, the private sector, media and civil society.
The inaugural award will be presented during the Africa CEO Forum, scheduled to take place in Kigali on 14–15 May 2026. The winner will receive a €10,000 cash prize and benefit from wide exposure through an interview published in Jeune Afrique and The Africa Report.
According to the organisers, the Africa NextGen Economist Prize also seeks to encourage young scholars to pursue careers in economics while reinforcing the role of Jeune Afrique and The Africa Report as leading references on African economic issues.
The competition is open to economists who are nationals of an African country, aged 40 or below at the time of the award ceremony, hold a PhD, and whose research focuses primarily on African economies or public policy on the continent. Applications must be submitted by 15 February.
Candidates will first be shortlisted based on their application dossiers, with support from the Foundation for Studies and Research on International Development (Ferdi), working alongside the editorial teams of Jeune Afrique and The Africa Report. The final selection will then be made by an independent jury.
The jury brings together leading figures in African and global economic policy, including Anthony Simpasa, Director of the Macroeconomic Policy, Forecasting and Research Department at the AfDB; Vera Songwe, Chair of the Liquidity and Sustainability Facility; Daouda Sembène, Director of Africatalyst; Mahmoud Mohieldin, United Nations Special Envoy on Financing the Sustainable Development Goals; Grieve Chelwa, Director at The Africa Institute; Karim El Aynaoui, Executive President of the Policy Center for the New South; and Alban Ahouré, Professor at Félix Houphouët-Boigny University and Senior Fellow at Ferdi.
Explaining the motivation behind the initiative, Thaïs Brouck, macroeconomics journalist at Jeune Afrique and initiator of the prize, said Africa has no shortage of talented young economists, but their work often lacks sufficient visibility.
“As a result, African economic thinking and public policies are still often inspired by exogenous models that are sometimes poorly suited to local realities,” she said. “The Africa NextGen Economist Prize will help showcase African research, inspire new vocations, and create a community of economists capable of imagining local solutions to the continent’s challenges.”
Applications should be submitted to africanextgen.economistprize@jeuneafrique.com by 15 February, and must include a detailed CV, the candidate’s three most representative publications, and a one-page executive summary outlining the relevance, originality and practical applicability of their work in Africa.
