Jocelia Taplah

Jocelia Taplah is a senior civil and geotechnical engineer and public sector leader dedicated to leveraging infrastructure as a driver of inclusive growth and national transformation. As the Deputy Minister for Rural Development and Community Services at Liberia’s Ministry of Public Works, she provides strategic leadership for rural infrastructure delivery, land use planning, and climate-resilient development across the country.

With over twenty years of experience across the private and public sectors, Ms. Taplah focuses on bridging the gap between engineering and policy. She recently served as the Coordinator for Liberia’s National Infrastructure Conference in January 2026 and chaired the Local Organizing Committee for the 10th Conference on Sustainable Transportation in Africa. Her leadership is defined by a systems mindset, aiming to build strong public institutions and climate-smart infrastructure that remains socially responsive long after project completion.