MONROVIA — The President’s Young Professionals Program (PYPP), in collaboration with the Civil Service Agency (CSA), has graduated 33 young professionals under its Class XII cohort, with Finance and Development Planning Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan urging the graduates to embrace integrity, teamwork, resilience and professionalism as they begin their careers in public service.
By Francis G. Boayue
The graduation ceremony was held on Thursday, August 20 at the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Ministerial Complex in Monrovia, bringing together senior government officials, development partners, mentors, supervisors, civil society representatives, members of the diplomatic corps, PYPP alumni, and other stakeholders.
Delivering the keynote address, Minister Ngafuan cautioned the graduates against expecting an easy working environment, urging them instead to prepare for challenges, resistance, and difficult professional relationships.
“Expect tough environments,” Minister Ngafuan told the graduates, stressing that they should not become discouraged when colleagues do not immediately embrace them.
According to him, the civil service does not require employees to love one another, but requires them to work together to achieve institutional objectives.
“You don’t have to love somebody, you don’t have to like somebody, but you have to work with somebody,” Minister Ngafuan said.
He cautioned the young professionals against allowing academic knowledge and professional accomplishments to create arrogance, noting that highly educated and technically competent individuals can fail when they are unable to work effectively with others.
“It is often said, it is teamwork that makes the dream work,” he said, urging the graduates to build teams, mentor colleagues and support individuals who may not possess the same level of knowledge or experience.
Minister Ngafuan also encouraged the graduates to demonstrate empathy in the workplace, noting that employees often carry personal challenges from home that can affect their productivity.
He said that effective leadership requires sensitivity to the well-being of colleagues and genuine concern for team members. The MFDP Minister challenged the graduates to become agents of positive change wherever they are assigned.
Recalling remarks, he made at a previous PYPP graduation, the Minister urged the young professionals to “spread your light” whenever they encounter darkness within an institution.
He encouraged them to demonstrate integrity where they find a lack of integrity, strength where there is weakness and professionalism where they encounter poor work ethics.
He also called on ministers, deputy ministers and heads of government agencies to give young professionals opportunities to demonstrate their abilities instead of judging them based on their age or previous positions.
The MFDP Minister warned against what he described as a “dampers effect,” where senior officials limit young professionals because they remember them as inexperienced when they first entered government.
“Give them the opportunity,” he urged senior government officials, emphasizing that the young professionals have the potential to rise to senior leadership positions, including ministerial roles.
Minister Ngafuan further called for PYPP to remain a permanent component of Liberia’s national development and public-sector reform efforts, regardless of changes in government.
He noted that the program has served successive administrations and produced young Liberians who have gone on to occupy important positions in government and other sectors.
Speaking at the ceremony, PYPP Executive Director Ciata Stevens d’Almeida said the success of the program should not be measured solely by the number of fellows who graduate, but by the impact they make before, during and after their fellowship.
She described Class XII as “superstars” whose contributions are being felt across Liberia and beyond.
According to d’Almeida, the Class XII fellows completed a two-year fellowship across 22 government ministries and agencies, bringing professional backgrounds in biology, biomedical science, economics, governance, information technology, geology, civil engineering, management, procurement and logistics, business administration, sociology and environmental science.
She said the cohort also marked an expansion of PYPP’s placement strategy, with fellows serving at institutions including the Liberia National Police, Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation, Liberia Medicines and Health Products Regulatory Authority, Rural and Renewable Energy Agency, National Rural Fund, National Disaster Management Agency, National Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Commission and National AIDS and STI Control Programme d’Almeida said PYPP is celebrating 17 years of operation and reaffirmed itsmission of developing the next generation of Liberia’s leaders.
She said the program’s decentralization initiative has created opportunities for young professionals to serve in local government and contribute to service delivery outside Montserrado County.
According to her, 18 young professionals recruited from Bong and Grand Bassa counties are currently serving local government institutions in the two counties.
In Bong County, 11 young professionals are serving institutions including the County Health Team, Regional Justice and Security Hub, Office of the County Education Officer and County Agriculture Coordinator’s Office.
In Grand Bassa County, seven young professionals are serving institutions including the Ministry of Local Government, National WASH Commission, County Administration, Port of Buchanan and County Health Team.
She also disclosed that PYPP conducted immersion visits and professional development training for 118 fellows across its cohorts in Montserrado, Bong and Grand Bassa counties.
Also speaking, Civil Service Agency(CSA) Director-General and PYPP Board Chair Dr. Josiah F. Joekai Jr. said the graduation was not simply about completing a fellowship but about celebrating young Liberians who have chosen to prepare themselves for public service.
Dr. Joekai said Liberia’s future would not be determined only by policies, budgets and development plans, but by the quality of people responsible for transforming those policies into tangible results for citizens.
“That is why the President’s Young Professionals Program matters,” he said.
According to Joekai, PYPP has demonstrated over the past 17 years that strong institutions require capable people.
He said the program identifies promising young Liberians, develops their professional capacity, exposes them to the realities of public service and creates opportunities for them to contribute meaningfully to national development.
Dr. Joekai described PYPP as more than a fellowship or placement, saying it serves as a mechanism for developing professionals capable of contributing to institutional transformation.
He said the Civil Service Agency is working to build a public service that is professional, merit-based, ethical, accountable, responsive and results-oriented.
“Systems do not transform countries by themselves. People do,” Dr. Joekai stated.
He challenged the graduates to become problem-solvers, innovators and ethical leaders capable of analyzing data, understanding public policy, communicating effectively, managing projects, using technology responsibly and delivering measurable results.
As part of the ceremony, members of Class XII took the Civil Servants’ Pledge, formally accepting their responsibilities as civil servants of the Republic of Liberia.
The graduates pledged to provide effective and timely service to the public, uphold the Constitution, comply with Civil Service laws and regulations, adhere to the Code of Conduct and faithfully perform their duties.
The CSA boss reminded the graduates that their graduation should not be viewed as the end of their journey. “Graduation is not the finish line. It is a starting point,” he said.
He challenged them to demonstrate competence, integrity, professionalism, accountability, innovation and service throughout their careers.
He further urged the graduates to mentor others, create opportunities for fellow Liberians and ensure that every institution they serve becomes stronger as a result of their contributions. “Wherever you serve, leave the institution stronger than you found it,” Dr. Joekai added.
The Class XII graduation marks another milestone in PYPP’s 17-year effort to strengthen Liberia’s public sector by preparing young professionals for leadership, institutional service, and national development.
