2025 Ibrahim Leadership Fellows announced from Zimbabwe, Ghana, and Mauritania

The Mo Ibrahim Foundation is pleased to announce the 2025 intake of Ibrahim Leadership Fellows, which will see three outstanding African professionals participate in one-year mentoring programmes at leading multilateral institutions.

The incoming Fellows are Bradley Kwaku Poku-Amankwah, who will join the African Development Bank (AfDB); Khdeija Sidi Boubacar, who will join the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA); and Tapiwa Ronald Cheuka, who will join the International Trade Centre (ITC).

Meet the 2025 Fellows

Bradley Kwaku Poku-Amankwah

Bradley, from Ghana, is a seasoned energy professional. He previously led Ghana’s Energy Transition and Investment Plan with SEforALL, served as Senior Technical Assistant to the Minister for Energy, and helped design the country’s first Net-Zero Pathway. With academic training from Oxford, LSE, and St Andrews, Bradley has received several awards, including the Rising Star Award at the 2023 Ghana Energy Awards, and has been recognised among the UK’s most influential young Black leaders.

Khdeija Sidi Boubacar

Khdeija, from Mauritania, is a peace and development expert with over a decade of experience in conflict prevention, social cohesion, and youth empowerment. She has worked across the UN, government, and diplomatic sectors, including as National Peace and Development Analyst in the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office in Mauritania. A Chevening and Mandela Washington Fellow, she holds advanced degrees in management and international exchanges, and brings a deep commitment to fostering sustainable development and peace-building in Mauritania and beyond.

Tapiwa Ronald Cheuka

Tapiwa, from Zimbabwe, is a senior expert in trade and economic development with extensive experience shaping policy at global, regional, and national levels. He specialises in digital trade and modernising trade-in-services frameworks, collaborating with institutions including the African Union Commission, UNECA, and UNCTAD. Known for translating complex diagnostics into actionable opportunities, Tapiwa brings a strong track record of advancing investment and development through innovative trade policies.

About the Fellowships

During their 12-month programmes, Fellows gain both technical and leadership skills while contributing directly to research and policy design. A special feature of the programme is the opportunity to benefit from the direct mentorship of the heads of the host organisations.

Since 2012, 40 Fellows (including this year’s cohort) from across Africa have participated in the programme. Upon completion of their placements, Fellows become members of the Foundation’s Now Generation Network (NGN), a coalition of young and mid-career Africans from all 54 African countries, who are committed to moving the continent’s development agenda forward.