The National Service Authority (NSA) will begin the implementation of a six-week Basic Military Orientation Programme on August 31, this year, with an initial cohort of 10,000 to be scaled up in subsequent years.

The programme, being carried out in collaboration with the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), was directed by President John Dramani Mahama in line with the National Service Authority Act, 2024 (Act 1119).

“This is not about militarisation — it’s about instilling leadership, resilience and civic responsibility,” the Minister of Youth Development and Empowerment, George Opare Addo, said yesterday at the ministry’s accountability briefing for the period January to July this year.

The initiative, he explained, was to instil discipline, patriotism and physical readiness among graduates.

Deployment

Mr Addo said for the 2025/2026 national service year, approximately 130,000 prospective personnel from accredited tertiary institutions across the country would be deployed to public and private user agencies in need of skilled temporary workers.

“All institutions have submitted their class lists, and the National Service Authority has generated personal identification number (PIN) codes for enrolment,” he said.

The minister, however, said the registration process had currently been paused due to a system shutdown of the Centralised Service Management Platform for audit purposes.

Mr Addo said the ministry suspended the platform following a directive from the Presidency for a comprehensive forensic audit by the Ghana Audit Service.

“This decision was prompted by revelations of serious financial irregularities — particularly ghost names that have undermined the system's integrity,” he added.

The minister said that the National Security was currently investigating the matter, while the Office of the Attorney-General was reviewing the dockets.

Mr Addo also said that plans were underway to deploy a new robust platform that would uphold the highest standards of accountability, adding, “The President has pledged that under his watch, there will be no ghost names at the National Service Authority”.

lBackground

President Mahama first announced the National Service Emergency Response Readiness Programme (NSERRP) during his maiden State of the Nation Address to Parliament on Thursday, February 27, this year.

Subsequently, in April this year, the NSA held high-level consultations with GAF for the implementation of the programme, which reflects President John Dramani Mahama’s vision of nurturing discipline, patriotism and physical fitness among Ghana’s graduates.

Prospective national service personnel for the 2025/2026 service year now have the option to undergo a six-week basic military training programme before their official postings.

The National Service Authority (NSA) made the announcement in a press release signed by the acting Director-General, Felix Gyamfi.

The statement urged interested applicants who want to participate in the military training to apply during the online registration process.

The registration window opened on June 17, this year and closed on July 1, 2025.