Ghana has opened the second cohort of the Third Country Training Programme (TCTP) on “Kaizen for Enhanced Public Service Delivery,” bringing together 30 civil service professionals from Liberia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria and Ghana to build stronger, more efficient public institutions across West Africa.

The programme, jointly organised by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Civil Service Training Centre (CSTC), was launched on November 17, 2025, at the CSTC in Accra.

The ceremony drew officials from the Office of the Head of Civil Service, members of the diplomatic corps, JICA representatives and the leadership of CSTC.

JICA’s Chief Representative in Ghana, Madam Momoko Suzuki, underscored the importance of cross-border collaboration in tackling shared public sector challenges such as inefficiency, service delays and resource constraints.

She urged participating countries to deepen cooperation with CSTC to expand future training cohorts and strengthen regional learning networks.

Diplomatic representatives from the participating countries, including the Ambassador of Liberia to Ghana, H.E. Musa Jatu-Rhule; the Acting High Commissioner of Nigeria to Ghana, H.E. Adeoye Dayo; and Sierra Leone’s Ambassador to Ghana, H.E. Mohammed Hassan Kaisamba, all delivered goodwill messages.

Japan’s Deputy Head of Mission, Mr. Mitori Naoki, also addressed the gathering.

Their remarks reaffirmed their governments’ commitment to strengthening civil service systems and promoting regional cooperation in public sector development.

For more than 15 years, JICA has partnered with the CSTC to support institutional growth, capacity building and infrastructure upgrades.

Through this collaboration, CSTC has become a Centre of Excellence for the West African sub-region, now equipped with modern facilities and an advanced Learning Management System.

The two-week TCTP programme will feature lectures, practical sessions and study tours, building on preparatory online modules already completed by participants in their home countries.

Grounded in the Kaizen philosophy of continuous improvement, the training aims to promote efficiency, teamwork and better service delivery through simple, consistent and practical reforms within public institutions.

CSTC leadership expressed appreciation to JICA and the participating diplomatic missions for their continued support. Stakeholders shared optimism that the training will significantly enhance public service performance and contribute to improved service delivery for citizens across West Africa.