UNFPA Ghana Youth Leaders (YoLe) Fellowship Programme 2026–2027 Cohort 8(Fully-funded)

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Fully immersive leadership fellowship in Ghana with mentorship, UN exposure, and a Master’s degree pathway

Are you a young leader in Ghana ready to drive change across health, innovation, sustainable development, human rights, peace & security, social entrepreneurship, artificial intelligence, or agribusiness? The UNFPA Ghana Youth Leaders (YoLe) Fellowship Programme – Cohort 8 is now open for applications.

This prestigious, one-year fellowship equips young changemakers with leadership skills, professional experience, and access to high-level mentorship—while offering a pathway to a Master’s Degree in Youth Leadership and Development.

Key Details

- Programme: UNFPA Ghana Youth Leaders (YoLe) Fellowship – Cohort 8
- Duration: September 2026 – August 2027 (1 year)
- Location: Accra, Ghana (on-site)
- Deadline: 14 May 2026 (11:59 PM)

Do you have the drive to champion change? Do you seek an opportunity to build leadership competencies? Do you aspire to lead change in the areas of health, innovation, sustainable development, human rights, peace & security, social entrepreneurship, artificial intelligence and agribusiness in Ghana?

The opportunity is here.

UNFPA Ghana in collaboration with the Ministry of Youth Development and Empowerment, and in partnership with the University of Ghana School of Continuing & Distance Education at the Centre for Digital Youth Development (UGDYV-CDYD) and United Nations Volunteers Programme (UNV) invites qualified young people in Ghana to apply for the 8th Cohort of the Heads of State Awards Scheme winning Youth Leaders Fellowship Programme. The Fellowship is open to youth leaders serving with Youth-led, Youth Focused, Youth Serving Organizations, CSOs, NGOs, and Public Institutions.

About the Programme

UNFPA’s mission is to deliver a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled. In support of its mandate on young people, UNFPA Ghana launched the Youth Leaders (YoLe) Fellowship Programme in 2018.

The YoLe Fellowship is a one-year programme designed to empower young people to be ethically driven transformational leaders. It offers participants the opportunities for professional and career development in leadership at various levels and in different sectors. Fellows also have access to one-on-one high-level mentorship and coaching from high-achieving personalities from different sectors. For more information about the Fellowship, read the Youth Leaders (YoLe) Fellowship Programme Brochure or visit the UNFPA Ghana website.

New Programme Features

The Youth Leaders Fellowship Programme is delivered in collaboration with the Ministry of Youth Development and Empowerment and sits within the Ministry’s agenda for youth development and empowerment. To further enhance the programme, UNFPA Ghana has partnered with the University of Ghana Digital Youth Village and Centre for Digital Youth Development to award the fellows a Masters Degree in Youth Leadership and Development. Successful applicants in addition to completing the Fellowship, will also complete academic requirements leading to the award of this Masters Degree. The Fellowship has also successfully partnered with the United Nations Volunteer (UNV) Programme leading to Fellows acquiring UNV status.

Eligibility

Applicants must be:

Youth aged between 18 – 30 years and resident in Ghana.
Youth with qualifications from accredited tertiary institutions.
Able to commit to the Fellowship Programme and duration fully (one year), on-site at the UNFPA Ghana Country Office and at the University of Ghana Digital Youth Village and Centre for Digital Youth Development, Legon, Accra.
Proactive and possess strong interpersonal skills.
Proficient in English (working knowledge of English).
Passionate about Leadership, Sustainable Development, Peace and Security, Human Rights etc.
Demonstrate a drive for change in all sectors including Social entrepreneurship, agribusiness, innovation, artificial intelligence; community development and volunteerism.
Demonstrate interest and dedication to development issues and contribute towards Ghana’s 2030 Agenda.
Demonstrate affiliation with youth-led organization/network, NGOs/CSOs, community volunteerism, or currently working on youth development projects by Government agencies, related to UN and UNFPA’s mandate.

If you meet the above criteria, then submit your application for the 8th Cohort of the Youth Leaders (YoLe) Fellowship Programme (September 2026 – August 2027).

Application Process

Interested applicants should submit:

A motivation letter (not more than 500 words) which states – your motivation for applying for the Fellowship, your professional goals, what you hope to achieve by participating in the programme.
C.V./Resume.
Proof of Identity (Ghana Card or Valid Passport or Birth Certificate).
Evidence of Health Insurance (National Health Insurance is acceptable)
All applications should be uploaded through this link: https://forms.gle/BtTDMrV8gRGPG7yA8 no later than 11:59 p.m. on 14th May, 2026 (Applications submitted after the deadline will not be accepted).
Females and Persons living with disability are encouraged to apply.

Applicants to kindly take note

All application materials must be submitted in English.
Fellows who do not complete at least 10 months of the Fellowship Programme will not be awarded the Masters or the Fellowship completion certificate.

Applicants who do not complete all related academic requirements leading to the award of a Masters Degree by the University of Ghana, will not receive the Masters Degree Certificate.
There is no provision for accommodation for successful applicants.
Successful applicants are expected to fully engage in Fellowship activities Monday to Friday from 7:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m each week and sometimes on weekends.
UNFPA has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation & abuse and Sexual Harassment.
Long listed applicants will be contacted by an external HR firm for further selection steps. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted by UNFPA.
An information session on the Fellowship and application process will be held on Thursday 30th April, 2026. Additional information will be provided on UNFPA Ghana social media handles.
The following category of persons are not eligible to apply: