AIG Fellowship: Enhancing Policy Implementation across Africa
Each year, the AIG Visiting Fellowship is awarded to an exceptional public sector leader who is not just thinking about reform but actively shaping it. Delivered in partnership with the Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford, the fellowship creates space to step back, rethink what is possible, and turn complex policy challenges into practical solutions. Discover what the experience offers, and why it could be the next step in your leadership journey.
Strong public organisations depend on leaders who can move from ideas to execution. The AIG Visiting Fellowship is designed to support exactly that, giving senior public officials the world-class exposure needed to think deeply, test ideas, and develop solutions that can strengthen service delivery and public sector effectiveness.
Over six months, the fellow will engage with global experts, explore real-world policy challenges, and draw insights from international best practices. They will return with sharper perspectives, renewed clarity, and practical approaches to improve service outcomes within their organisations
A key part of the fellowship is turning knowledge into action. The fellow will develop policy papers and briefs grounded in their experience and share their insights through lectures and workshops, contributing to a growing body of knowledge on policy implementation and public sector reform across Nigeria and Africa.
Past Fellows of the programme include:
Professor Attahiru Jega (2016-17 Fellow): Professor Attahiru Jega was the first public sector leader to be awarded the AIG Fellowship. He currently serves as a Professor in the Department of Political Science at Bayero University, Kano, and has an extensive body of work on Nigerian politics, elections, and democratisation.
Justice Georgina Wood (2017-18 Fellow): Justice Georgina Wood is the first female Chief Justice of Ghana, pioneering anti-corruption reforms and judicial transparency. Her participation in the fellowship programme helped her inspire new policy solutions for justice in Africa.
Mrs Ifueko Omoigui-Okauru (2018-19 Fellow): Mrs Omoigui-Okauru served as the first female Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and Chairman of the Joint Tax Board, leading transformative reforms in Nigeria's tax administration system. Her participation in the fellowship helped her learn effective strategies to transform institutions from within.
Mrs Funke Adepoju (2025-2026 Fellow): Mrs Funke Adepoju (2025–2026 Fellow) is the 2025 AIG Visiting Fellow and Director General of the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON), where she is repositioning ASCON as Nigeria’s first National School of Government. The Fellowship is strengthening her efforts to transform public sector training institutions into engines of reform that improve policy delivery and institutional performance.
Why Apply?
Beyond individual development, the programme offers:
Global Perspective: Fellows engage with leading scholars and gain global perspectives at the University of Oxford’s Blavatnik School of Government.
Knowledge Creation: Fellows contribute to the body of knowledge on policy implementation in Africa through their policy papers and briefs.
Lasting Legacy: Fellows join a prestigious network of changemakers whose insights continue to shape governance across the continent.
Applications are open until 12 June 2026.
Click here to apply