Job Description
Background
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is the world’s largest free trade area, bringing together the 55 countries of the African Union (AU) and eight (8) Regional Economic Communities (RECs). The overall mandate of the AfCFTA is to create a single continental market with a population of about 1.3 billion people and a combined GDP of approximately US$3.4 trillion. The aim is to enable the free flow of goods and services across the continent and boost the trading position of Africa in the global market.
The AfCFTA is one of the flagship projects of Agenda 2063 of the African Union (AU): The Africa We Want, the AU’s long-term development strategy for transforming the continent into a global powerhouse.
The AfCFTA would like to offer an opportunity to students who possess adequate knowledge and skills in relevant areas to work as interns (for a specified period) and gain some practical experience and international exposure.
Context
Given the critical role to be played by the AfCFTA in moving the continent forward towards the achievement of its development agenda, it has been deemed necessary to create a platform for a number of African students—possessing the required knowledge and skill levels—to be introduced to the work of the AfCFTA through an internship program.
The internship program is designed to bring highly qualified and motivated students with diverse backgrounds into the Secretariat to work on projects linked to the Strategic Orientations of the Secretariat and to support the corporate functions of the Secretariat. Its main goal is to give successful candidates the opportunity to improve their analytical and technical skills in an international environment.
The program is primarily educational and aims to expose participants (interns) to the workings of the AfCFTA at an early stage and strengthen their personal and early professional skills. It will provide an avenue for participants to gain exposure and hands-on experience in various applicable fields while learning in a multicultural environment.
Internship Placement Areas
Interns will assist in providing administrative and technical support for effective implementation of AfCFTA programmes, projects, and activities in the following Departments/Directorates:
- Office of the Secretary-General
- Protocol Division
- Communications Division
- Conferences and Languages Division
- Directorate of Trade in Goods and Competition
- Directorate of Customs
- Directorate of Trade in Services, Investment, IPR, and Digital Trade
- Directorate of Dispute Settlement and Legal Affairs
- Directorate of Administration of Human Resources Management / IT Unit
- Directorate of Finance
- Directorate – Institutional Matters & Programme Coordination
Objectives
- To provide students the opportunity to gain exposure to the work done at the AfCFTA Secretariat
- To offer a learning platform to students who qualify to serve as interns
- To provide students the opportunity of experiencing, first-hand, the work of one of the ambitious projects of the African Union
- To promote the AfCFTA to the general public—especially the youth—and encourage them to work hard towards achieving their aims of working with international organizations
Who Can Apply? (Eligibility)
- Be nationals of a Member State of the African Union and residing in Ghana
- Graduates or final-year students enrolled full-time in a fully accredited degree program at a recognized public or private institution of higher learning in any of the following areas:
- Project/Program Management
- Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E)
- Business Administration
- Management
- Or related fields
- Full availability for a minimum of three months (duration of the program)
- Proficiency in one of the AU official working languages (French, English, Portuguese, Arabic, Kiswahili, Spanish); fluency in another AU language is an added advantage
- High level of quantitative and IT skills
- Strong ICT skills and familiarity with the Microsoft Office suite
- Ability and willingness to work in a multicultural and international team environment
- Commitment to upholding and adhering to the rules and values of the Institution throughout the internship
- Female candidates are encouraged to apply
How to Apply? (Application Process)
- Applications for admission to the AfCFTA Secretariat Internship Program must be submitted online
- If you are a first-time user of the online registration system, you will need to register before logging in
- You are advised to provide as much relevant information as possible
- Applicants must submit the following supporting documents with their online application:
- A motivation letter addressed to the Administration and Human Resources Directorate of the Secretariat, indicating what they expect to gain from the internship
- A copy of a valid passport or identity card
- A current curriculum vitae (CV)
- Upon successful submission, applicants will receive an email confirmation of receipt
Selection Process
The selection process consists of four main stages:
- Pre-screening: All applications are screened, and suitable candidates are placed on a shortlist made available to AfCFTA Secretariat Directorates
- Interview and/or Written Test: Hiring teams may invite shortlisted candidates to a telephone interview and/or written test
- Offer Letter: Selected candidates will receive an email offer letter from the AHRM Directorate
- References: Verifiable references may be requested
Terms and Conditions
- The AfCFTA Secretariat will have no financial obligation towards interns
- Travel arrangements, cost of accommodation, and living expenses are the responsibility of the intern
- The internship will be authorized only once for six (6) months, renewable one time, with the possibility of rotation across departments
- Confirmation for each internship period will be based solely on business needs
Deadline
Applications must be submitted no later than July 25, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. UTC
