Obama Leaders Program for Emerging Global Leaders 2026–27

The Obama Foundation’s Leaders program aims to inspire, empower, and connect regional cohorts of changemakers to accelerate positive and lasting change in their communities and throughout their region and across our world.

These 24-45-year-old emerging leaders from around the world forge societies and communities rooted in shared values, where all people belong, participate, and thrive.

Leaders Africa is a six-month, non-residential, virtual leadership journey for 35 emerging leaders from across the continent, focused on exploring values-based leadership skills and building deep relationships with fellow cohort members.

The Leaders Africa program seeks to identify exceptional leaders in public, civil society, and the private sector who have a clear issue focus and who can illustrate the impact of their work. Our objective is to build a network of values-based leaders who create positive, innovative change in their communities, throughout Africa, and around the world.

Leaders participate in the following core elements as part of the program:

Weekly Virtual Video Calls: These live virtual sessions are the primary form of collective engagement. These connections, an average of four times monthly, offer a mix of new content (conversations with experts, introductions to leadership frameworks, skill-building, etc.) and interactive, small-group work in breakout rooms.

Monthly Community Groups: Leaders work in peer learning groups that encourage deeper relationship-building and peer learning and offer opportunities to reflect on case studies of prominent African leaders or discuss open questions from the group sessions.

Individualized Leadership Coaching: Each Leader is paired with a coach to help them gain self-awareness, clarify goals, brainstorm ideas, achieve their development objectives, and unlock their potential.

Summary

1. Application Deadline: December 12, 2025
2. Value: Leadership development, coaching, networking, and access to the global alumni community
3. Study Level: Leadership/Training Program
4. Sponsor: Obama Foundation
5. Eligible Country: Global (all countries)

Eligibility Criteria for Obama Leaders Program for Emerging Global Leaders 2026–27

The program currently invites individuals residing in all countries and territories in the continent of Africa.

You must meet one of the following criteria:

1. Citizen of an African country or territory OR
2. Permanent resident of an African country or territory OR
3. Have lived in an African country or territory for at least the last 5 years, regardless of citizenship or permanent residence status
4. You are professionally proficient in English and you will be between 24 and 45 years of age on September 1, 2026.
5. You will refrain from participating in an electoral campaign as a candidate for political office from the time you are accepted into the program through May 1, 2027. Selection decisions are currently scheduled to be sent out in June 2026.
6. You can demonstrate at least 3 years of relevant experience in your issue area.

Benefits of Obama Leaders Program for Emerging Global Leaders 2026–27

1. Leaders will have gained a deeper understanding of how values-based leadership advances their work.
2. They will be inspired to take further action, propelled by new ideas and skills.
3. Most importantly, Leaders will continue to gain a broader global perspective by joining the Obama Leadership Network, a growing global alumni community of over 1,500 active changemakers.

How to Apply

Interested and qualified? Go to Obama Foundation on obama.org to apply

For more details, visit Obama Foundation Leaders Program webpage

Application Deadline

December 12, 2025

Application Link(s)

• Apply for Obama Leaders Program for Emerging Global Leaders 2026–27