Athena–Anchoria Junior Fellows Programme

Developing the Minds That Will Shape Nigeria's Future

Nigeria does not have a shortage of talented young people. What it has is a shortage of structured pathways that turn talent into public contribution — programmes that take sharp, curious graduates and give them the analytical tools, writing discipline, and professional networks to engage meaningfully with the country's most pressing challenges.

The Athena–Anchoria Junior Fellows Programme exists to close that gap.

Now in its 2025 cohort, the programme is a six-month, fully immersive fellowship hosted by the Athena Centre for Policy and Leadership, in partnership with Anchoria Advisory. It is designed for young Nigerians who are serious about ideas, serious about their country, and ready to do the work that serious public engagement requires.

What the Fellowship Actually Involves

This is not a certificate course or a networking programme dressed up as a fellowship. Fellows are embedded directly into Athena's research and publication ecosystem from day one, contributing to live policy work across thematic areas that include education, health, infrastructure, security, governance, and the digital economy.

Each Fellow is assigned to a thematic area and works under the supervision of a senior researcher — supporting background research, contributing to analysis, and participating in editorial discussions. The work is real, the feedback is rigorous, and the expectations are high.

Alongside the research placement, Fellows attend structured seminars focused on policy reasoning, evidence-based argumentation, and writing for public and professional audiences. Sessions are led by Athena Senior Fellows, policy experts, and invited practitioners — people who have spent careers navigating the institutions and ideas Fellows are being trained to engage with.

Writing sits at the heart of the programme. Fellows contribute to Athena publications, go through editorial review processes, and receive structured feedback on their drafts. The goal is not volume — it is clarity, intellectual honesty, and the kind of analytical rigour that makes policy writing worth reading.

The Financial Literacy Module

In 2025, Anchoria Advisory joins the programme as a private-sector partner, delivering a dedicated financial literacy and investment module for Fellows.

This component was added deliberately. Public thinkers who do not understand economic behaviour — savings decisions, investment risk, financial planning under uncertainty — are limited in the depth of their policy analysis. The module grounds Fellows in practical financial decision-making and explores the relationship between individual economic behaviour and broader public outcomes.

It is delivered through periodic intensives and guided practice, and Fellows leave with a Financial Literacy certification alongside their policy credential.

The Capstone Project

Every Fellow participates in a team-based capstone policy project addressing a real Nigerian governance or development challenge. Teams are expected to define the problem, analyse existing approaches, and propose practical, evidence-based solutions — not theoretical recommendations, but grounded interventions that engage with the constraints of the Nigerian context.

Projects are presented at a Graduation Forum before a selected audience of practitioners and policy leaders. It is the programme's most visible moment, and it is designed to be.

What Fellows Receive

Athena provides Fellows with the support required to participate fully in the programme. This includes a monthly stipend, research and learning resources, a programme-issued laptop, one-on-one mentorship with experienced practitioners, publication and public engagement opportunities, dual certification in policy and financial literacy, and membership of the Athena Fellows Alumni Network — a growing community of young Nigerians working across government, civil society, media, and business.

Who Should Apply

The programme is competitive and deliberately small. Selection is based on academic performance, analytical and writing ability, intellectual curiosity, and a demonstrated commitment to public service and national development.

Athena seeks diversity across institutions and regions — but maintains high standards of excellence across the board. If you are a young Nigerian who reads carefully, writes with care, and believes that ideas matter to how a country develops, this programme was built with you in mind.

A Note on Where This Is Going

The 2025 cohort is part of a longer vision. By 2027, Athena aims to expand the programme to 30 Fellows annually, establish it as Nigeria's leading youth fellowship for policy and civic leadership, and begin exploring regional replication within West Africa.

Each cohort builds the network. Each Fellow adds to it.