*24 young leaders completed their two-year public service fellowship program and joined an alumni network of more than 500+ professionals committed to good governance in Africa.*

MONROVIA – 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.

His Excellency President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., signed the graduates’ certificates and his representative, Hon. Cornelia Wonkerleh Kruah, Deputy Minister for Administration, Ministry of State for Presidential Affairs, made special remarks during the graduation ceremony, highlighting the professionalism and innovation of PYPP’s sixteen years of programming to deliver the brightest young minds from across the country into the civil service of Liberia. She commended the new alumni for their commitment to integrity and dedication and shared the commitment of President Boakai to the sustainability of the program.

Members of the Cabinet, as well as Honorable Josiah F. Joekai, Jr., Director General of the Civil Service Agency and Chair of PYPP Board of Directors; other officials of government and dignitaries representing embassies and foreign missions in Liberia; and national stakeholders in both the private and public sectors were in attendance.

Ambassadors from UN Women and the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Center for Women and Development gave remarks, each speaking highly of the work of the young leaders and their dedication to ethical and innovative leadership. Dr. Anna Brzozowska, Team Lead for Political and Economic Governance Cooperation at the EU Delegation to Liberia, emphasized the importance of youth as drivers of transformation in Liberia and the continued need to invest in youth-led projects.

Felicia Ubbesen, Political, Promotion and Communication Officer, Embassy of Sweden in Liberia, commended the young women and men for the skills they have demonstrated thus far and noted the importance of their work, stating:

“Civil Servants play a quiet but vital role in any democracy. They are the ones who translate policy into action, making sure that what is agreed at the highest levels is felt by citizens in their daily lives. This work requires competency, fairness, and a strong sense of duty.”

In 2023, the 24 graduates began the fellowship and were placed in full-time employment positions within ten government ministries and three non-governmental organizations operating in the public sector. The president of the graduating class, Randolphlyn Johnson, shared a snapshot of their two-year program, from recruitment and mentorship to immersive policy work and technical training. Other members of the cohort provided testimonials of excellence in speeches, spoken word poems, and songs throughout the celebration.

Samuel B. Nagbe Jr., Executive Director of the Rural and Renewable Energy Agency (RREA) underscored the impact of the Fellow placed in his office, stating, “The skill set that they bring in surpasses those of the civil servants, becoming extraordinary skills.” Anthony Myers, Acting Minister of Finance and Development Planning, also remarked on the exemplary skill set of Fellows and the rigorous experience of the young professionals placed within his ministry.

Guests celebrated the achievements of the graduates as well as the official launch of recruitment for the 2026-2028 cohort. Ciata Stevens d’Almeida, Executive Director of PYPP, said:

“It has been 16 years, the mission of PYPP is well on course. We are proud to report that we have piloted the decentralization of PYPP recruitment in Bong and Grand Bassa counties, and our young professionals are supporting local government capacity and service delivery… PYPP continues to progress and expand. All over our country, as well as moving to different countries through our partner organization Emerging Public Leaders in Accra, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, and most recently, Sierra Leone.”

In 2016, Emerging Public Leaders (EPL) was established to replicate and adapt PYPP’s approach in a Public Service Fellowship program model for other African countries. Today, EPL serves as a global network for the flagship public service fellowship program with more than 500 alumni, 46% women, across the continent. By 2027, Emerging Public Leaders in collaboration with the Mastercard Foundation and other partners, aims to have recruited, placed, and trained a total of 1,000 Fellows, at least 50 percent women, into public service across six African countries.

Watch the graduation on YouTube

Editors Note

About the President's Young Professionals Program

The President's Young Professional Program was launched in 2009 by H.E. former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. The two-year fellowship provides opportunities for top-achieving Liberian university graduates to join the civil service. The fellowship equips them with the tools necessary to make lasting contributions to good governance and beyond through mentorship, training, and career development opportunities. More than 200 young professionals have graduated from the training and continue to be transformative leaders in Liberia’s public sector, of which 46% are women.

For more information about the President’s Young Professionals Program please visit: www.pyppliberia.com.

About Emerging Public Leaders

Emerging Public Leaders is a public service leadership organization preparing the next generation of competent and effective public sector leaders in Africa. EPL partners with governments and local organizations to rigorously identify young public service professionals who are committed to practicing and promoting good governance throughout Africa. With our support throughout their career journeys, this diverse network of leaders influences and strengthens their country’s institutions for delivering democracy with excellence, care, innovation, and integrity.

For more information about Emerging Public Leaders please visit: www.emergingpublicleaders.org.

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