The National Service Authority (NSA) has disqualified over 3,500 graduates from 22 tertiary institutions without valid accreditation from participating in the 2025/2026 national service program.
These institutions have either lost or failed to verify their accreditation status with the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC).
The NSA has issued a 30-day ultimatum to the affected institutions to rectify their accreditation status or risk permanently disenfranchising their graduates.
According to the Authority, the move forms part of broader efforts to clean up the national service system and safeguard public resources potentially saving the government nearly GH¢600 million.
The NSA has also introduced several reforms aimed at enhancing the value and impact of national service in Ghana’s development agenda.
Key among the reforms is the implementation of stricter data validation processes, which have led to a sharp decline in the number of prospective national service personnel from 176,000 last year to just over 132,000 this year.
In addition, the Authority is encouraging Small and Medium-Scale Enterprises (SMEs) to recruit more national service personnel, recognizing SMEs as key drivers of economic growth.
The NSA also plans to send 10,000 service personnel through basic military training, focused on discipline, alertness, and emergency response readiness.
These initiatives are geared toward promoting youth employment, enhancing skill development, and increasing the national service program’s contribution to national development.
