Young civil servants graduate from selective training fellowship

The second cohort of Emerging Public Leaders Ghana Public Service Fellows will graduate from the two-year intensive public service fellowship program.

The graduation ceremony will be held at the Ecobank Auditorium at the Ecobank Head Office in Accra from 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm GMT. A full list of the graduating fellows is available here.

In their roles as civil servants, Fellows have drafted reports for the United Nations, led digitization projects, and worked on budgets presented to Parliament, all the while navigating a global pandemic. One fellow, Deborah Mmabila Azika, was named best graduating candidate by the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Ghana.

The graduating fellows and the Emerging Public Leaders program staff will be joined by Betsy Williams, Emerging Public Leaders Founder; Nana Kwasi Agyekum Dwamena, Head of Ghana’s Civil Service; among others who will share remarks to guide the fellows on their future journeys as civil service leaders.

“Civil servants are at the center of an effective government that delivers for the people. Today, I am incredibly proud to see 16 capable young civil servants complete our fellowship program,” said Yawa Hansen Quao, Executive Director of Emerging Public Leaders.

“ As we continue to expand our mission across Africa, these young leaders exemplify our model and the possibility of transforming the civil service in the region. EPL fellows' work will change our country, our continent, and our world.”

Over the past two years, Emerging Public Leaders has provided this cohort’s 16 Public Service Fellows with opportunities for professional and leadership training, mentorship, and community services. Selected through a meritocratic process for their ethical leadership, professional competency, and commitment to public service, the Cohort 2.

fellows have consistently received praise from their supervisors and ministers for their excellent work ethic and technical skills.

“The EPL program has been able to deliver civil service staff who are committed and have proven to have the capacity required in the Service. Some of the Fellows have assisted their various institutions to deliver effectively and efficiently,” the Chief Director of the Office of the Head of Civil Service (OHCS), Godwin Brocke mentioned.

Since its first cohort began in 2018, Emerging Public Leaders Ghana has grown the program’s reach to include young Ghanaians from all 16 regions in Ghana. Fellows and alumni of the program have been placed in 21 government agencies across Ghana’s Central Government including the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, and the Office of the Vice President.

“It has been an honor working with these top-tier fellows for the past two years and guiding them on the start of their journeys,” said Moses Cofie, Ghana country director for Emerging Public Leaders. “However, this is just the beginning. We look forward to supporting these incredible young people as they take the next step towards their bright futures.”

The graduating Cohort 2 fellows will join the Emerging Public Leaders Alumni Network (EPLAN), a growing network of ethical public servants committed to excellence. who act as catalysts to drive systemic change in Africa’s public sector.

Press interested in attending the graduation can contact
elizabeth@emergingpublicleaders.org. The graduation will also be streamed live on our Facebook page.