Published: June 24, 2025
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia – Liberia has been unanimously selected to chair the formation of a historic ECOWAS Regional Framework for Public and Civil Service Institutions, marking a major step toward improved governance and intergovernmental cooperation across West Africa.
The landmark decision was made during the 10th Africa Public Service Day Commemoration in Addis Ababa, where delegates from seven ECOWAS countries – Ghana, Benin, Senegal, The Gambia, Sierra Leone, Mauritania and Liberia – held a high-level meeting focused on improving agility, resilience, and inclusive service delivery within public institutions. The meeting was convened under the theme: “Enhancing the Agility and Resilience of Public Institutions to Achieve Equitable Governance and Rapidly Address Historical Service Delivery Gaps.”
Representing Liberia at the conference, Civil Service Agency Director-General Dr. Josiah F. Joekai, Jr. was unanimously elected by his regional counterparts to serve as Organizing Chair of the regional initiative. In this role, Dr. Joekai will lead the conceptualization, coordination, and operationalization of the ECOWAS framework.
Dr. Joekai noted that the decision is a “profound endorsement of Liberia’s renewed credibility and regional relevance in advancing public sector reform,” aligning with President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s vision of reclaiming Liberia’s leadership on the regional and continental stages. “I am deeply humbled by the confidence reposed in me by my esteemed colleagues and committed to ensuring that the framework we develop becomes a blueprint for shared progress and institutional resilience across ECOWAS,” he said.
Under Dr. Joekai’s leadership, Liberia will draft a concept paper that defines the scope, purpose, and structural mechanisms of the new regional framework. The country will also lead the planning and organization of the inaugural meeting of ECOWAS public and civil service leaders. Additionally, Liberia will facilitate the adoption of the framework’s leadership and governance structures by ECOWAS member states.
The concept paper is expected to be completed and circulated within two weeks of the announcement. Liberia’s appointment to this leadership role also reflects its current chairmanship of the Health and Public Service Network of Africa (HaPSNA), a continental platform that supports the integration of community health workers into national civil service systems to advance universal health coverage.
Observers say this recognition is being widely viewed as a strategic dividend of President Boakai’s governance agenda, which has emphasized regional diplomacy, public service reform, and institutional renewal. It is also seen as a sign of Liberia’s reemergence as a contributor to regional, continental, and global governance dialogues.
The proposed ECOWAS framework aims to address longstanding service delivery inequities, governance fragility, and human resource challenges in the region. It is expected to foster cross-border knowledge sharing and technical cooperation; promote peer learning and institutional benchmarking; optimize regional capacity-building initiatives; and align ECOWAS public service systems with global best practices in service delivery, transparency, and performance management.
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