The National Service Authority (NSA) has excluded graduates submitted by 13 tertiary institutions from the 2026/2027 national service deployment after a verification exercise found that the institutions do not currently have the required accredited status.
The decision follows an accreditation verification exercise conducted by the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) after the affected institutions submitted their graduating students for national service deployment.
In a statement signed by NSA Director-General Ruth Dela Seddoh, the Authority said it was unable to deploy graduates from the affected institutions “at this time” based on accreditation information provided by GTEC, the statutory body responsible for regulating and accrediting tertiary institutions in Ghana.
Full list of the 13 affected institutions
The institutions whose graduates have been excluded from the current national service deployment are:
- Multimedia Institute of Ghana
- Abbeam Institute of Technology
- Star College of Communication
- Standard College of Technology
- Institute of Commercial Management, UK
- Christ Apostolic University College
- Oxford Institute of Business and Journalism
- Heaf Professional Colleges
- NIIT Open Labs Ghana
- Community University College, Takoradi
- SS Peter and Paul Pastoral and Social Institute
- Adonai University College of Research and Entrepreneurship
- College of Tropical Agriculture
Why were the graduates excluded from national service?
The NSA explained that the exclusion was based on the accreditation status of the institutions as confirmed by GTEC.
The Authority said its verification exercise was undertaken to ensure that only graduates from duly accredited tertiary institutions are mobilised for national service.
The development means graduates submitted by the 13 institutions will not be deployed under the current exercise until their institutions resolve the outstanding accreditation matters and their accredited status is formally confirmed by GTEC.
The NSA stressed that the decision was based on accreditation information received from GTEC and was not an independent determination by the Authority.
Affected graduates may still qualify for national service
The exclusion does not necessarily mean that graduates of the affected institutions have permanently lost their opportunity to undertake national service.
According to the NSA, affected graduates may still be considered for national service deployment if their respective institutions resolve their accreditation issues with GTEC.
Once GTEC formally communicates confirmation of the institutions’ accredited status to the NSA, the Authority said it will facilitate the processing and deployment of eligible graduates, subject to the applicable national service requirements.
The NSA has advised the affected institutions to engage directly with GTEC to regularise their accreditation status.
Graduates from the institutions have also been encouraged to liaise with their respective schools and await official communication from the NSA regarding their eligibility and possible deployment.
The Authority said its verification and deployment procedures are intended to protect the integrity, credibility and transparency of Ghana’s National Service Programme.
Accreditation remains crucial for national service deployment
The latest decision highlights the importance of accreditation in the mobilisation of graduates for Ghana’s national service programme.
The NSA’s position means that graduates cannot simply be deployed based on submissions from tertiary institutions without the necessary accreditation verification.
The development also places responsibility on tertiary institutions to ensure that their accreditation status is properly regularised and communicated to the relevant regulatory authorities before their graduates are submitted for national service.
The NSA has indicated that it will continue working with GTEC and other stakeholders to ensure that only graduates from institutions meeting the applicable accreditation requirements are mobilised.
What affected graduates should do
Graduates from the 13 institutions are advised to:
- Contact their respective institutions for clarification on their accreditation status.
- Follow up with their schools on any ongoing engagement with GTEC.
- Await official communication from the NSA before assuming they have been permanently excluded.
- Ensure that their personal and academic records are accurate and available for verification once their institutions’ accreditation issues are resolved.
The NSA’s latest decision comes as the Authority continues efforts to strengthen verification and improve the credibility of Ghana’s national service mobilisation process.
