The President’s Young Professionals Program (PYPP) on Wednesday, August 20, graduated its 11th cohort of fellows, marking another milestone in Liberia’s efforts to groom ethical, skilled, and patriotic young leaders for public service.
Delivering the keynote address on behalf of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai Sr., Deputy Minister for Administration at the Ministry of State for Presidential Affairs, Cornelia Kruah, underscored the government’s unwavering commitment to nurturing the next generation of Liberian leaders across all sectors.
Minister Kruah recalled her first interaction with PYPP fellows in 2014, where she was impressed by their dedication, teamwork, and professionalism. She hailed the program as a vital source of competent civil servants, many of whom now hold key government positions.
Congratulating the graduates of Class XI, she urged them to demonstrate integrity, patriotism, and service excellence. “On behalf of the President, I remind you that your duties must not be carried out with a business-as-usual approach. You are to continuously think about and love Liberia,” she said.
CSA Director General and PYPP Board Chair, Josiah Joekai, administered the Civil Service oath to the graduates. He reaffirmed the Civil Service Agency’s commitment to a professional and merit-based workforce, citing key reforms, including a shift to a computerized, transparent recruitment process and the submission of a bill to establish an independent Civil Service Commission.
Joekai further announced a policy prioritizing PYPP fellows and long-term volunteers in government recruitment to ensure that the investments made in training Liberia’s young professionals are fully harnessed. “PYPP is a vital pipeline for the civil service,” he stressed.
Executive Director of PYPP, Ciata Stevens d’Almeida, shared the journey of Class XI, which began with 186 applicants in August 2022. After a competitive selection process, 25 were chosen, and 24 successfully completed the two-year fellowship. The graduates bring diverse expertise, including engineering, economics, public administration, social sciences, and communications.
For the first time, fellows were placed at the Ministry of National Defense, the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission, the Liberia Electricity Corporation, and the National Commission on Arms, alongside existing placements at ministries, agencies, and NGOs. Some fellows have already been absorbed into their host institutions.
D’Almeida also highlighted the program’s growth, noting its pilot decentralization efforts in Bong and Grand Bassa counties and the replication of the PYPP model through Emerging Public Leaders (EPL) in Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, and Sierra Leone.
She expressed gratitude to the Government of Liberia, the Mastercard Foundation, Emerging Public Leaders, Abigail Disney, Pierre Hauser, Moore Philanthropy, Conservation International Liberia, and other donors for supporting Class XI.
“As we celebrate this milestone, we call on all sectors to continue investing in the next generation. PYPP is proof that developing Liberia’s future leaders is a collective responsibility,” D’Almeida said.
Launched on August 20, 2009 by former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the President’s Young Professionals Program (PYPP) continues to stand as one of Liberia’s most impactful youth development initiatives, producing more than 200 highly trained professionals across over 40 government ministries and agencies.
The program was founded with support from Betsy Williams of the Hess Family Foundation, John Snow Incorporated, and its first Program Director, Saah Charles N’Tow. Since 2015, PYPP has operated as an independent Liberian non-profit organization under the oversight of a board of directors led by the Civil Service Agency.
PYPP operates on six key components: merit-based recruitment, monthly training, immersion excursions, performance management, alumni engagement, and mentorship. Its objectives remain centered on creating job opportunities for qualified Liberian youth, fostering knowledge transfer from seasoned professionals, and building a dedicated pool of young professionals to serve the government.
The program has recruited candidates from all 15 counties and major universities across Liberia, achieving a gender balance of 47% female and 53% male, maintaining a retention rate of 82%. Currently, PYPP fellows serve in more than 40 government ministries and agencies, alongside private sector organizations and local NGOs.
The program’s success has inspired international replication. In 2016, Betsy Williams founded Emerging Public Leaders (EPL) to expand the fellowship across Africa. Ghana launched its program in 2018, followed by Kenya (2022), Malawi (2024), and Sierra Leone (2025).
Looking forward, PYPP is decentralizing its recruitment process to extend to local governments, beginning with Bong and Grand Bassa counties, while maintaining support to central government institutions.
Graduates of PYPP now hold key positions such as directors, deputies, coordinators, technical assistants, auditors, accountants, and project officers, contributing significantly to policy formulation, governance, and service delivery in Liberia.
This year’s graduation ceremony featured new inductees including Abigail A. A. Dorbor, Robert Serge Saint-Pé, Randolphlyn Darlyn Johnson, and Saah Blamah. The event brought together several international partners and stakeholders, including representatives from the European Union, UN Women, and the Swedish Embassy in Liberia.
PYPP’s long-term contribution continues to strengthen Liberia’s civil service, foster transparency and accountability, and nurture a new generation of leaders dedicated to national growth and development.
