In partnership with Emerging Public Leaders, the Public Service Commission, and Mastercard Foundation, EPL Sierra Leone marked the launch of our first cohort of the Public Service Fellowship Program, welcoming 75 promising young Sierra Leonean leaders at a ceremony held on October 13, 2025, in Freetown.

A new chapter began for 46 young Malawian leaders, 70 percent of whom were women, at the Malawi School of Government on Monday, October 6, at the orientation ceremony for Emerging Public Leaders of Malawi’s (EPL Malawi) one-year Public Service Fellowship Program.

This year’s 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA80) was a vivid reminder that the conversations shaping Africa’s public service leadership happen just as often in small circles and spontaneous side events as in the main plenary. Here are five takeaways for EPL and African leadership from UNGA80:

As world leaders prepare to convene at the United Nations General Assembly in New York this September, a vibrant coalition of young public sector professionals from Ghana, Liberia, Kenya, and Malawi has a clear message: the real momentum for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) begins at the grassroots, in communities transformed by youth leadership.

Celebrating two excellent cohorts in Liberia and Ghana, sharing lessons from the Rise Women Conference and much more in our latest newsletter.

On Wednesday, August 20, 2025, the President’s Young Professionals Program (PYPP) in collaboration with the Civil Service Agency (CSA) celebrated the completion of 24 young professionals from their two-year public service fellowship program at the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Ministerial Complex Theatre in Congo Town.

H.E. former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf met with Rose Wachuka Macharia, Chief of Staff at the Office of the Chief Justice and President of the Supreme Court of Kenya, and Robert Fefegula, the new country director for Emerging Public Leaders of Sierra Leone, on the sidelines of the 4th Nalafem Summit in July.

Abigail Kajumba, Executive Director of Emerging Public Leaders, and Wendy Kopp, CEO and Co-founder of Teach For All, explore the impact of a people-first investment approach to embed leadership development into philanthropists’ strategies, investing in new leaders and those already working in systems, and treating agency as both the input and output of sustainable development.

Exciting news about our international Alumni Network Gathering in Ghana and the official launch of EPL Malawi.

2024 Annual Report

Emerging Public Leaders participated in the 2025 Ibrahim Governance Weekend in Marrakech in June, the annual convening dedicated to advancing good governance and exploring innovative ways to finance a more sustainable and prosperous future for Africa.

Lilongwe, Malawi - Top government officials, private sector and civil society leaders, embassies, media, and Cohort I Public Service Fellows gathered at the Bingu International Conference Centre (BICC) on the morning of Friday, May 9, 2025, for the official launch of the Public Service Fellowship Program.

Accra, Ghana - One hundred dynamic, young public leaders from across Africa gathered for the 2025 Emerging Public Leaders’ Alumni Network Gathering.

Emerging Public Leaders hosted a hybrid discussion with peer organizations and Open Gov Hub to explore how to better support young people from internally displaced persons (IDP) communities in the countries where we work.

We are excited to announce the launch of our newest program in Sierra Leone and many more program updates.

Mlatho, Malawi – Emerging Public Leaders (EPL) Malawi's inaugural cohort of the Public Service Fellowship programme in collaboration with Mlatho Farms and Agri learning hub joined forces for a multi-stakeholder tree-planting event

Freetown, Sierra Leone – Emerging Public Leaders and the Public Service Commission (PSC) of Sierra Leone signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) marking the beginning of a new collaboration on the fellowship program in Sierra Leone.

Highlights from 2024 and some exciting new developments as we expand into new countries.

As we reflect on our progress and set our sights on 2025, the task ahead is clear: we must continue the critical work of empowering young public servants, equipping them with the tools and support they need to navigate the complexities of government.

New partnership with Government of Sierra Leone