In a renewed push to modernize Liberia’s public administration and harness the potential of its youthful population, the Director-General of the Civil Service Agency (CSA), Dr. Josiah F. Joekai, Jr., on Tuesday, January 20, 2026 convened a high-level working session with the President’s Young Professionals Program (PYPP), underscoring the government’s commitment to building a sustainable talent pipeline for the public sector.
The one-day strategic engagement, held in Monrovia, brought together senior officials of both institutions and marked a decisive step toward deeper institutional coordination. Dr. Joekai, who also serves as Chair of the PYPP Board, described the program as “a critical engine for renewing Liberia’s civil service with skilled, ethical, and reform-minded professionals.”
Hands-On Leadership and Institutional Synergy Addressing participants, Dr. Joekai announced a new leadership initiative aimed at bridging operational gaps between the CSA and PYPP. Beginning January 2026, he disclosed, he will work once every month from PYPP’s headquarters, accompanied by relevant CSA technical teams.
“This is about breaking bureaucratic silos,” Dr. Joekai said. “Our goal is to ensure that recruitment, deployment, performance management, and career progression for young professionals are aligned with national civil service standards and reform priorities.” The move reflects a broader shift toward hands-on governance and performance-driven public sector management, as Liberia continues to recover from decades of institutional fragility exacerbated by civil conflict, the Ebola crisis, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Youth at the Center of Public Sector Reform
Liberia is one of Africa’s youngest nations, with more than 60 percent of its population under the age of 35, according to government and international development estimates. Yet youth unemployment and underemployment remain persistent challenges, particularly among university graduates seeking meaningful public service careers.
Launched to address this gap, the President’s Young Professionals Program has, over the years, emerged as a flagship initiative designed to recruit, train, and deploy high-performing Liberians into strategic government roles. PYPP alumni currently serve across ministries, agencies, and commissions, including as deputy ministers, policy analysts, project managers, and technical advisers.
Government officials say the program not only improves service delivery but also helps professionalize the civil service by introducing merit-based recruitment and modern administrative practices. High-Level Participation Signals Political Support The working session was graced by Ambassador Sheikh Al-Moustapha Kouyateh, Ambassador-at-Large and Special Envoy on Special Missions of the President of the Republic of Liberia, signaling strong executive backing for youth-centered governance reforms. Senior technical staff from both the CSA and PYPP also participated, engaging in interactive discussions, operational briefings, and strategic planning sessions focused on recruitment pipelines, deployment mechanisms, and long-term career development for young professionals. A
Culture of Collaboration
The CSA delegation was formally welcomed by PYPP’s leadership, headed by Executive Director Ciata Stevens d’Almeida, whose team organized a morning devotion that set a tone of unity and shared purpose. Observers noted that the cordial atmosphere reflected a maturing partnership between the two institutions, grounded in a common vision of rebuilding public trust and state capacity through competent human resources. As Liberia advances its civil service reform agenda, officials say the strengthened CSA–PYPP collaboration could serve as a model for institutional alignment across government. “With sustained partnership and political will,” one senior official remarked, “PYPP can become not just a training program, but the backbone of a new, professional, and youth-driven Liberian public service.” The January 20 session concluded with a renewed commitment from both institutions to deepen cooperation, track measurable outcomes, and position Liberia’s young professionals at the forefront of national development and governance transformation. Courtesy By Julius Konton
