The call for essays aims to foster a better understanding of the issues challenging financial sector development in Africa and to gather thoughts, opinions and innovative ideas on how to develop the sector.

Topics selected for this call are aligned with MFW4A’s priority themes, including:

* ADDRESSING FINANCIAL ILLITERACY IN AFRICA (financial inclusion);
* DEPOSIT AND CONSIGNMENT FUNDS [RR1] AND AFRICAN INSTITUTIONAL INVESTORS: ROADMAP FOR BETTER SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC OUTCOMES (long-term finance); and
* REGULATING NON-BANK FINANCIAL SERVICES AND FINTECHS (governance and financial stability).

To be eligible, applicants must be at least 18 years of age in 2020 and registered at an academic institution (university, college, etc.) either as student or researcher. There are no restrictions regarding a candidate’s field of study, however, the essay must be original, unpublished, and must relate to one of the above topics. Applicants from all countries are eligible to submit their essay, either in French or English.

The winning author will be awarded a 1,000-euro grant and will also be invited to discuss his/her essay with financial sector specialists during an MFW4A or partner event. The winning essay, along with the two runners-up, will be published on the MFW4A portal, the MFW4A newsletter and the blog section of the websites of MFW4A donors and partners.

Please submit a short outline that provides an overview of the essay by March 31, 2020. Selected authors will be invited to submit their full essay no later than May 15, 2020.

No fees are required from applicants.

The secretariat particularly encourages essay submissions by women and students from the African Development Bank’s regional member countries.

The Making Finance Work for Africa Partnership (MFW4A) is a unique platform for African financial sector development research, advocacy, knowledge management and networking. Its partners share a common vision of innovative, robust and competitive African financial systems, providing near-universal access to financial services by 2030, and offering a full range of products and services for the continent.