National Service Personnel (NSPs) across Ghana will undergo up to two months of military-style training starting August 3, 2025, as part of a new initiative dubbed the National Service Emergency Response Readiness Programme (NSERRP).

The programme, currently under discussion between the National Service Authority (NSA) and the Military High Command, aims to equip service personnel with foundational military drills and a sense of national duty.

Speaking at a high-level meeting on April 23, Director-General of the NSA, Felix Gyamfi, described the move as essential for cultivating patriotism and resilience among Ghana’s youth.

“The introduction of this military training is a step in the right direction and must be embraced by all and sundry as one of the indicators for resetting the country, particularly the youth,” Gyamfi noted.

He confirmed that all NSPs would participate in basic military drills and orientation during their service, describing the training as a vital component of national development and identity-building.

Representing the Ghana Armed Forces, Brigadier General Amoah-Boakye affirmed the military’s full commitment to the programme, assuring the NSA of the army’s readiness to support and deliver the required training once the programme launches.

The initiative reflects the vision of President John Dramani Mahama, who outlined the programme during his maiden State of the Nation Address to Parliament on February 27, 2025. It forms part of a broader agenda to instill discipline, national pride, and physical preparedness in the country’s graduates.

"To achieve a legally robust regime to govern National Service, I have also tasked the Minister for Youth Development and Empowerment to coordinate and present to Parliament a Legislative Instrument (L.I.) to support the implementation of the newly passed National Service Authority Act 2024 (Act 1119)," President Mahama stated.

Ghana joins a host of nations—such as Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and China—that have integrated some form of military service or basic drills into their national service programmes. These models range from mandatory conscription, as seen in Russia, to more symbolic or limited training, such as in the United States, where compulsory service exists legally but is rarely enforced.

The upcoming NSERRP initiative is expected to not only provide practical survival and leadership skills to service personnel but also help instill a deeper sense of duty and discipline among Ghana’s next generation of leaders. Further legal and operational guidelines will be outlined in the forthcoming Legislative Instrument.