More than 80 Emerging Public Leaders from across Africa gathered in Margibi County, Liberia for the Alumni Network Gathering. Over two days, participants, united by a shared commitment to ethical leadership, public service excellence, and inclusive growth, reflected on how a growing network of young public servants can shape the future of governance and improve public policy and community initiatives. 

"I have this knowing," Charity says. "That my life is contributing to the bigger picture."

Charity came to EPL with that knowing already clear. What she needed was somewhere to put it to work.

Read more about how the pathway Charity found through the EPL Felllowship continues to shape how she turns her sense of purpose into public impact for future generations

Emerging Public Leaders and the Future of Development Cooperation Coalition recently co‑hosted a hybrid consultation on public leadership and state capability, linking Coalition leaders online with EPL young leaders in Monrovia. The session, held alongside EPL’s 2026 Alumni Network Gathering, created a dedicated space for young African public servants to speak directly into global debates on how development cooperation must evolve.

A Reflection by Linda Williamson Eshun on the lessons and learnings from the Emerging Public Leaders Alumni Network (EPLAN) gathering held in Liberia from 2nd to 3rd June 2026.

We're gaining momentum! We're welcoming new leaders, sharing 2026-2027 cohorts recruitment updates, and celebrating the launch of our 2025 Annual Report.

Emerging Public Leaders Announces Leadership Transition

Our 2025 reports celebrates a year of tremendous growth in our network of outstanding young African leaders. With our network of 715 young leaders spanning Ghana, Liberia, Kenya, Malawi, and Sierra Leone, welcoming our largest intake yet with 194 new young public servants. This Annual Report highlights the young professionals at the heart of our work and the impact of their day-to-day leadership.

Esther Emmanuella Spio shares her reflections as a young Ghanaian public servant attending events on the sidelines of the 2026 Skoll World Forum in Oxford.

AfricaXchange 2026 brought leaders together in Nairobi to explore how Africa can move from ideas to action on development, markets, and systems change. In this reflection, two Emerging Public Leaders Kenyan Alumni share what they learned, and how the experience is shaping their thinking on youth engagement and the future of the EPL network.

The Future of Development Cooperation Coalition announces its full set of commissioners

Announcing 2026 recruitment and celebrating the young public servants driving positive change in their communities across Africa.

Emerging Public Leaders joined our partners at the Public Service Commission - Kenya and Emerging Leaders Foundation - Africa for the official Launch of the Public Service Emerging Leaders Fellowship (PSELF) Impact Assessment Report at the Radisson Blu Hotel, on 19 February 2026.

Accra, Ghana - Emerging Public Leaders of Ghana (EPL Ghana) in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, officially opened applications to the 2026 Public Service Fellowship on February 11, 2026, for young university graduates with an interest in joining the public sector. All applications should be submitted online by Sunday, March 22, 2026.

Across Africa, conversations about financing democracy are growing more urgent. From sovereign endowment funds to diaspora-backed financing mechanisms, new ideas are emerging to reduce dependence on external aid and strengthen democratic institutions. The Governance Consortium’s G20 Sideline Event report explains how youth are the future implementers of these models inside government and are already financing democracy.

Emerging Public Leaders' Executive Director Abigail Kajumba shares reflections on the Public Service Emerging Leaders Fellowship program in Kenya and the upcoming launch event of the impact assessment report.

Emerging Public Leaders (EPL) today announced the unanimous election of Emmanuel Lubembe as the next Chair of the EPL Global Board, effective January 15, 2026. He will succeed EPL Co-Founder Betsy Williams, who will continue to serve on the Global Board and, together with H.E. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, assume the role of Chair Emeritus, providing ongoing strategic guidance and mentorship to the organization.

Independent evaluations in 2025 show that EPL is delivering on its mission: recruit young Africans into dignified, paid public service roles and expand youth inclusion in government

Lilongwe, Malawi – Emerging Public Leaders of Malawi (EPL Malawi) marked a historic milestone on 5 December 2025 as the organization celebrated the graduation of its inaugural cohort of 33 Public Service Fellows alongside senior government officials, development partners, diplomatic representatives, mentors, and institutional leaders.

Johannesburg, South Africa - Emerging Public Leaders Executive Director, Abigail Kajumba, and Alumni Violet Pondakwao, shared vital messages at the Governance Consortium G20 side event held at the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF) Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Office in November.

Nairobi, Kenya - Mira German shares her takeaways from the 2025 Baobab Summit, attended with her fellow Emerging Public Leaders (EPL) Alumni, Lawrence Nii Kotey Neequaye, from Ghana, and Izeecta Martha Gbollie from Liberia. The three-day summit, organized by the Mastercard Foundation under the theme “Nurturing the Future Through African Youth”, harnessed the resilience and purpose of African youth to drive progress.