-Under Dr. Dougbeh Chris Nyan’s Leadership
By Vaye Abel Lepolu
Monrovia, Liberia — The General Auditing Commission (GAC) of Liberia has awarded the National Public Health Institute of Liberia (NPHIL) high marks for financial compliance, citing significant improvements under the leadership of Dr. Dougbeh Chris Nyan, Director General of the institution.
According to the GAC Audit Compliance Implementation Report, NPHIL’s compliance with audit recommendations rose sharply to 81 percent, up from 61 percent in previous audit follow-ups. The audit covered the period from August 20, 2024, to August 31, 2025, all within Dr. Nyan’s tenure.
However, Dr. Nyan, a globally recognized biomedical scientist, inventor, and public health expert, assumed leadership of NPHIL on August 19, 2024. Since then, the report notes, he has emphasized financial accountability, transparency, fiscal discipline, and zero tolerance for corruption and mismanagement.
The Auditor General’s Annual Progress Report on the Implementation of Audit Recommendations revealed that the audit follow-up was part of a nationwide exercise involving 62 government entities, conducted in line with the GAC Act of 2014 and international auditing standards.
The report shows that NPHIL successfully implemented 75 out of 93 audit recommendations (81%) reviewed during the second phase of the exercise. This represents a notable improvement compared to the previous administration, which implemented only 40 out of 66 recommendations (61%).
Further reviews conducted by the GAC over recent weeks assessed financial statements and project audits at NPHIL. The findings revealed that:
52 of 66 financial recommendations (79%) were implemented; and 23 of 27 project audit recommendations (85%) were addressed.
Overall, the audit concluded that 64 recommendations (69%) were fully implemented, 22 recommendations (24%) were partially implemented, and only 7 recommendations (7%) remain in progress.
Meanwhile, based on these results, the GAC rated NPHIL as “Compliant – Light Green”, placing the institution in the “Significant Implementation” category.
“The overall result demonstrates a strong level of commitment by NPHIL to addressing audit issues and strengthening financial management and operational systems,” the report stated. The GAC further disclosed that the audit follow-up process included on-site monitoring visits, acquaintance meetings, validation of corrective actions, and detailed reviews of documentary evidence to verify implementation claims.
While commending the progress made, the report noted that continued attention is required to fully close remaining gaps and further promote accountability in the use of public resources. In addition, under Dr. Nyan’s leadership, the report also highlighted improvements in NPHIL’s technical, diagnostic, research, disease surveillance, and administrative capacities.
NPHIL has gained both national and international recognition, including designation as an “Africa Regional Center of Excellence for National Public Health Institute Development” by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).
The GAC credited the achievement to strong collaboration between NPHIL’s Finance Division, Division of Grant Management, Division of Procurement, and the Internal Audit Agency (IAA).
