The Association for Progressive Communications (APC), the Information Society Division of the African Union Commission (AUC), and Research ICT Africa (RIA) are pleased to announce the call for nominations for the 14th edition of the African School on Internet Governance (AfriSIG 2026).
Selected participants will benefit from a fellowship to participate in this prestigious programme, which will take place in the last quarter of 2026 ahead of the Africa Internet Governance Forum (Africa IGF) in Accra, Ghana.
AfriSIG 2026 will focus on AI Governance in the African Context, bringing together emerging leaders, policymakers, researchers, civil society actors, the technical community, and other stakeholders to strengthen inclusive and impactful internet governance discussions across Africa.
Who can be nominated?
You are eligible to be nominated for AfriSIG 2026 if you meet the following criteria:
- You are passionate about the internet as a driver for people-centred development in Africa.
- You work in the internet, telecommunications, media, digital policy, data governance or digital rights – in any sector or stakeholder group.
- You have relevant experience in AI, data or internet governance, or ICT research, policy and regulation, and the foundational knowledge to engage at a professional level. This programme is not designed for beginners.
- You are well-positioned to contribute to strengthening internet governance in Africa and amplifying African voices in global discussions, and your current employment or studies supports your active engagement in this space.
- You have basic fluency in English.
We strongly encourage applications from individuals in middle or senior management, or those in leadership roles in their field or institution.
Who can submit a nomination?
We welcome nominations from across all stakeholder groups, including:
- Government ministries, departments and public sector ICT services (such as public libraries).
- National and regional communications, data and information regulatory authorities.
- Members of parliament serving on portfolio committees covering media, communications or information technology.
- Internet industry service providers and businesses, including mobile network operators and digital platforms as well as small and medium internet-related enterprises.
- Civil society, NGOs and community-based organisations working in the internet and communications sector.
- Human rights, gender and ecological justice advocates and institutions dealing with internet issues.
- The legal community, including the judiciary, legal practitioners and law enforcement working in internet, communications or data protection law.
- The internet technical community, including those involved in internet names and numbers, engineering, systems administration, programming and security.
- Academic and research institutions working on internet governance, data protection or data governance.
- Media organisations, journalists and bloggers focusing on internet or data governance and policy.
To submit a nomination, a nominating institution needs to submit a letter of recommendation and motivation and attach the CV of the nominee. The documents must be submitted in English. The deadline is 31 May 2026 at 23:59 UTC. Please address the nomination to afrisig@apc.org
Cost and applying for sponsorship
Participation in AfriSIG costs USD 2,000, which covers accommodation and tuition. Participants are responsible for their own travel costs, unless they are a beneficiary of a travel fellowship.
Shortlisted nominees will be asked to complete an application form on which they can apply for sponsorship.
The AfriSIG organisers have limited support available for successful applicants. This support will cover the tuition fee and accommodation.
We also have a limited number of travel fellowships available.
All participants, even those who are self-funded, will be expected to attend for the duration of the school.
For more information, visit the AfriSIG website www.afrisig.org or contact the AfriSIG organisers, Anriette Esterhuysen and Peace Oliver Amuge at afrisig@apc.org