AU Media Fellowship Draws Over 100,000 Applications, Showcasing Africa’s Storytelling Power
At a time when Africa is reclaiming its narrative on the global stage, the overwhelming response to the African Union (AU) Media Fellowship underscores the continent’s hunger for collaboration, innovation and pan-African storytelling.
The African Union has revealed that its AU Media Fellowship (AUMF) 3.0 attracted more than 100,000 applications from across Africa and the diaspora, reflecting the depth of media talent and a shared commitment to advancing Africa’s development priorities.
According to a press release issued in Addis Ababa, the fellowship is designed to strengthen capacity, foster cross-border collaboration and enable journalists and content creators to shape Africa’s narrative through a pan-African lens.
Applications were aligned with six thematic tracks drawn from Agenda 2063, the AU’s long-term development blueprint.
In a major innovation, the initial screening of applications was conducted using an AI-powered system, supported by the AU Digital Tech Fellowship Programme under the Women, Gender and Youth Directorate.
The system was built by three young African innovators, Stephen Amoakoh Donkor from Ghana, David Nzadon from Nigeria, and Haggaernesh Tadesse from Ethiopia.
The AI tool reviewed applicants’ story pitches, CVs, reference letters and biographies, scoring each on relevance, quality and alignment with fellowship themes, while ensuring balanced representation across countries.
Each application received a merit-based score between 0 and 100 per cent, reinforcing transparency and fairness.
This was followed by manual reviews by independent experts and AU evaluators, panel interviews, and final endorsement by the AU.
Mohamed Kimbugwe, Digital Governance and Innovation Advisor, highlighted the initiative as proof that African-led digital innovation can strengthen institutional processes and expand opportunities for youth participation in continental development.
Over the 16-month programme, the selected Fellows will undergo advanced training, receive personalised mentorship, and gain access to continental and global media networks.
They are expected to produce solutions-focused stories that challenge stereotypes, amplify African voices and contribute directly to the goals of Agenda 2063.
“The AU Media Fellowship continues to be a platform for Africa’s brightest media talents to shape narratives that matter,” said Wynne Musabayana, Head of AU Information and Communication, noting that the 2026 cohort will be officially announced in February ahead of a study tour scheduled for March.
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