Thirty-three young professionals have completed the Emerging Public Leaders (EPL) Ghana Public Service Fellowship after a year of service in various government institutions across the country.
The sixth cohort graduated at a ceremony held in Accra on Wednesday, July 2, 2025, under the theme “Staying to Build: Re-Imagining Public Service Leadership.”
The fellows were placed in institutions including the Ministry of Finance, Ghana Education Service, Ghana Commodity Exchange, Ghana Enterprises Agency, the National Development Planning Commission, and the Millennium Development Authority.
Country Director of EPL Ghana, Ms Juliet A. Amoah, urged the graduates to challenge outdated attitudes within the public sector and contribute to building a more responsive and values-driven system.
“To re-imagine public service is to break free from the tired script of inefficiency, bureaucracy, and mistrust,” Ms Amoah said.
“We do not just change policy; we change mindsets. We do not just digitise services; we humanise governance. We do not just fill vacancies; we fill them with values.”
Head of Programmes at EPL Ghana, Mrs Elizabeth-Zionita Akorfa Dzah, reflected on the journey of the fellows, saying public service often involves steady, quiet progress rather than immediate results.
“Public service is not always about fast wins or dramatic change,” Mrs Dzah said. “Sometimes it is about showing up consistently, asking thought-provoking questions, and starting small but thinking big.”
She recounted how one fellow, who initially felt underutilised at her post, gradually found her voice through persistence and openness to growth.
This year’s ceremony featured an awards segment for the first time. Charity Ama Yekple, who served at the Ministry of Finance and represented her cohort, received the Public Service Fellowship Excellence Award. Abel Buertey Okudzeto of the Ghana Commodity Exchange was presented with the Innovation in Leadership Award after his efforts resulted in a full-time job offer. Naomi Tiyumba Joseph, who worked with the Ghana Education Service, received the EPL Values Ambassador Award for demonstrating integrity and humility.
Two incoming fellows of Cohort VII, Priscilla Elorm Akrong and Mohammed Napare Abdul Hakam, were introduced and presented with Founders’ Awards.
EPL Founder’s Award recipients for Cohort VII. They will serve as cohort representatives and contribute to programme decisions as members of the Ghana board.
In her closing remarks, Ms Amoah encouraged the graduates to remain grounded in service and committed to Ghana’s progress.
“Staying is not passive. It is not a resignation. It is a decision. It is active hope. It is declaring with your feet, your heart, your skill, and your integrity that this nation is worth it,” she said.
EPL Ghana forms part of a wider African network preparing young professionals for leadership in public service across five countries. The programme is supported by the Mastercard Foundation and operates in partnership with the Office of the Head of Civil Service and the Public Services Commission.
The graduation ceremony ended with a symbolic pinning of the graduates by Ms Amoah and an alumni representative, officially inducting them into the EPL Alumni Network, which now includes over 500 young professionals across Africa.
