Funded Traineeship for Young Graduates at the EU Delegation to the Federal Republic of Nigeria and ECOWAS

The European Union (EU) is an economic and political partnership between 27 European countries. It plays an important role in international affairs through diplomacy, trade, development aid and working with global organisations. Abroad, the EU is represented through more than 140 diplomatic representations, known also as EU Delegations, which have a similar function to those of the EU embassy development programme.

The EU Delegation to the Federal Republic of Nigeria and ECOWAS works closely with the national, regional and local authorities as well as other foreign missions. The European Union (EU) is a major player in the international development community in Nigeria with an active presence in the key sectors of health, nutrition, water and sanitation and improving access to sustainable electricity. Additional crosscutting activities include the fight against corruption, drugs and organised crime, support to the reform of the justice system, measures to increase the role democratic processes and supporting a greater role for civil society.

Applications are invited for:

Title: Funded Traineeships for Young Graduates

Location: Nigeria
Employment Type: Internship
Duration: 6 Months

Description

• Are you a young graduate interested in international relations? Are you curious to learn more about work of a diplomatic mission and how the EU Delegation represents EU interests and values in Nigeria?

We Offer

• A traineeship of up to 6 months in 2026 within the Political, Press and Information Section (PPI) Section of the EU Delegation to Nigeria. The tentative start month is July 2026.

Traineeship in the PPI Section:

• The PPI Section of the EU Delegation is in charge of supporting the Head of Delegation in maintaining and advancing political relations with Nigeria and ECOWAS, analysing and reporting on political developments, engaging with government and local authorities, civil society organizations, think tanks and the media. PPI also supports the Head of Delegation in his/her capacity as observer to ECOWAS, monitors regional developments and reports on related issues. 
• The PPI Section assists the Head of Delegation in ensuring EU Coordination with Member States and in charge of coordination on political – including regional, consular, migration and security matters. 

Main Tasks

• Draft reports on internal political developments, human rights, economic situation, regional issues, foreign policy and/or other policy areas of relevance for the EU interests and values;
• Support the PPI Section in organisation of meetings/drafting the meeting minutes;
• Support the PPI Section on communication activities;
• Support the PPI Section on public diplomacy events;
• Support the PPI section on preparation of visits from EEAS HQ and other EU institutions.

Qualifications or Special Requirements

• Citizens of Nigeria
• Taking into account the local health and security conditions, only applicants currently residing in Abuja - Nigeria will be considered
• Young graduates with at least a Bachelor Diploma (or equivalent)
• Candidates must have less than one year of professional experience after their graduation by the signing of the Traineeship agreement. (other traineeships or student jobs or volunteering works carried out during university or after graduation are not considered as professional experience)
• No previous experience of more than six weeks in the EU Institutions.

Application Closing Date
19th April, 2026.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates must apply to the e-mail address: Delegation-Nigeria-Recruitment@eeas.europa.eu and send the following documents:

• A detailed standard Europass Curriculum Vitae (CV) (CVs in other formats will not be considered);
• A cover letter describing why you want to participate in a EU traineeship; and
• An application form (NIGERIA - Application form for funded traineeships 2026_Local resident (002).docx) 

Please mention in the subject of your e-mail: Funded Traineeship - PPI.

Important information to read before applying:

• Before applying you are requested to examine the dedicated website as well as the general eligibility criteria for a paid traineeship (Article 8 of the Decision ADMIN (2017)28 – Paid traineeship).
• Each selected trainee will receive a monthly grant to cover living expenses. All costs related to travels, visa, insurance, accommodation must be borne by the trainee. 
• Applications from non-eligible candidates will not be considered. After the evaluation of all applications, shortlisted candidates will be contacted and invited for an interview. Unsuccessful candidates will be notified by email. In case the selected candidates are not able to present the required documents, their application will be rejected.
• The traineeships can only be offered in compliance with the local legislation.