Military training for National Service Personnel set to begin in August 2025
The National Service Authority (NSA) has entered advanced discussions with the Ghana Armed Forces to roll out the National Service Emergency Response Readiness Programme (NSERRP)—a fresh policy that will put every National Service Person (NSP) through basic military instruction.
Talks held on 23 April 2025 translate President John Dramani Mahama’s pledge—first outlined in his maiden State of the Nation Address on 27 February—into an operational blueprint. The president envisions the scheme as a fast‑track course in discipline, patriotism, fitness and crisis response for Ghana’s graduates.
At the meeting, NSA Director‑General Felix Gyamfi hailed the plan as “pivotal to youth development and national renewal,” urging citizens to view it as a vital piece of the government’s broader “reset” agenda. Under NSERRP, all service personnel posted each year will undergo up to two months of military‑style drills and classroom sessions before reporting to their assigned workplaces.
The curriculum—designed jointly by the NSA and the Armed Forces—will blend parade ground discipline, physical conditioning, first‑aid, disaster‑relief techniques and lessons in civic duty. The objective, Gyamfi explained, is not to militarise graduates but to equip them with leadership skills, resilience and a readiness to assist during national emergencies such as floods, fires or health outbreaks.
Representing the Military High Command, Brigadier‑General Amoah‑Boakye pledged full logistical support. Training camps, instructors and medical teams, he said, will be ready to welcome the first cohort on 3 August 2025. Soldiers will guide recruits through field craft, basic weapons handling (for familiarity rather than combat deployment), crowd‑management tactics and community‑service projects.
Mandatory participation applies to all National Service categories—teaching, health, local government and private‑sector postings alike. Graduates who complete the drills will receive certificates highlighting skills in teamwork, emergency response and leadership, credentials the NSA believes employers will value.
Backers argue the programme will foster unity among diverse graduates and create a reserve pool of citizens trained to support security agencies during crises. Critics, however, question funding, accommodation capacity and the potential disruption to the traditional September posting calendar. The NSA counters that resources are budgeted, and early August training leaves ample time for personnel to take up posts by October.
For now, the Agency and the Armed Forces are finalising camp schedules, safety protocols and evaluation metrics. If timelines hold, Ghana’s next batch of degree holders will swap lecture theatres for parade squares this August—marching, drilling and learning the habits of service before beginning their year of national duty.
blogpay
Total Comments: 0