Situated at the heart of the Liberian Presidency as far as delivering on the President’s direct developmental priorities is concerned is the Presidential Delivery Unit (PDU). Tasked with fast-tracking the President’s ambition to improve public services, promote economic prosperity, and fulfil the promises made by the Liberian Government, President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr handled that herculean task over to Honorable Mamaka Bility, the Minister of State Without Portfolio.
Noting that it’s no small task being in charge of a PDU which administration’s major agenda is solely development-oriented as evidenced by the ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development (AAID), Minister Bility had since taken the ‘bull by the horn’.
Whether it is engaging investors directly or setting the pace for same, the ‘iron lady’ State Minister continues to relentlessly explore and initiate both bilateral and multilateral collaborations that will land the PDU at the effective and timely delivery of President Boakai’s development priorities.
The latest of such was a six-day study tour to the Republic of South Africa where Minister Bility led a high-powered delegation which engaged with key institutions, including the University of South Africa (UNISA) and the Department of Planning, Monitoring, and Evaluation (DPME) in the Presidency.
Done under the invitation of South Africa’s Minister in the Presidency for Planning, Monitoring, and Evaluation, Hon. Maropene Ramokgopa, the six days’ activities centered on forming a transformative partnership that will directly benefit Liberia’s Presidential Delivery Unit (PDU)—the critical department overseen by Minister Bility at the Liberian Presidency.
Minister Bility’s core message shared throughout the various engagements was the emphasis to train the already dedicated Liberian civil servants within the PDU, while modeling Liberia’s national planning and evaluation systems after those of South Africa’s, a country which success story is rooted in participatory democracy, inclusiveness and the prioritization of citizens’ needs.
“We’re investing in our own people to sustainably fix our systems…rather than replacing our dedicated staffs at the PDU, we want to empower them through structed distance education in Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E)..”, Min. Bility remarked of UNISA’s expertise in distance education and curriculum development.
Yes, and the dividends are already in the pipeline even before the Minister and delegation could return from Africa’s most southern tip: for instance, as the University of South Africa (UNISA)’s Principal and Vice-Chancellor Professor Puleng LenkaBula pledged the UNISA’s full institutional support, affirming, “This partnership speaks to our core mission—to empower Africans through knowledge. As we’ve done in Sudan, Ethiopia, and Eritrea, we will work with Liberia to build agile, self-sufficient institutions that can drive transformation from within.”
And for the record, UNISA is Africa’s largest and oldest open-distance learning institution which boasts over 400,000 students globally, cutting-edge research platforms, and specialized programs in governance, public administration, and development planning. This makes it an ideal partner for Liberia’s ambition to professionalize and modernize its public service delivery mechanisms.
As Minister Bility noted, “This tour is not just about capacity building—it’s about building a bridge between two African countries that understand the value of solidarity, knowledge, and shared development. We are not here just to learn; we are here to collaborate, innovate, and build systems that will serve our people for generations.”
With an MOU signed with multiple South African stakeholders versed in this direction, the PDU, once revered for its ‘quick’ and ‘medium-term’ impacts during the President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s era, is once again poised to not just be reawakened but to reach global heights in complimentary efforts of achieving the President’s AAID.
