Emerging Public Leaders (EPL) Ghana, a public service leadership organization preparing the next generation of competent and effective public sector leaders in Africa, has organized a graduation ceremony for the second cohort of Public Service Fellows who have undergone a two-year intensive public service fellowship program in Accra.

The graduation ceremony, which was held at the Ecobank Auditorium at the Ecobank Head office, had sixteen (16) Fellows who drafted reports for the United Nations, led digitization projects and worked on budgets presented to Parliament, all the while navigating a global pandemic in their roles as trainee civil servants.  

Speaking at the event, Yawa Hansen Quao, the Global Executive Director of EPL said that 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,” she added.

Yawa Hansen Quao stated that “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.”

The Chief Director of the Office of the Head of Civil Service (OHCS), Godwin Brocke indicated that the Emerging Public Leaders L 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. 

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, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and the Office of the Vice President.

In charging the Fellows, Moses Cofie, the Ghana Country Director for Emerging Public Leaders said “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. 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.”

Other dignitaries who graced the occasion with congratulatory messages to the graduands include Betsy Williams, Founder & Co-Chair of EPL; Nana Kwasi Agyekum Dwamena, Head of Ghana’s Civil Service and representatives from EPL Ghana key partners.

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.