By Benjamin Nii Nai Anyetei
The National Service Authority (NSA) has introduced targeted support measures to address administrative, technical and data mismatch challenges affecting the registration and validation of personnel for the 2025/2026 National Service year.
The Director-General, Ms Ruth Dela Sedoh, said the steps were aimed at ensuring that all qualified graduates are able to complete their registration and deployment despite systemic challenges.
Ms Sedoh explained that one of the most persistent problems has been data mismatches between graduate lists submitted by tertiary institutions and records held by the National Identification Authority (NIA). In many cases, discrepancies in names or dates of birth stemmed from past administrative decisions, name changes or errors in university records, which conflicted with Ghana Card details.
To address the challenges, the NSA implemented several measures, including the establishment of specialised IT and administrative desks at its headquarters and regional offices to assist personnel facing technical or documentation difficulties.
The Authority also collaborated with the NIA and the Ghana Publishing Company to set up on-site resolution desks at the NSA headquarters for two weeks, enabling service personnel to correct Ghana Card mismatches and complete gazetting processes more efficiently.
Ms Sedoh said the NSA further negotiated a reduction in gazette service fees to ease the financial burden on personnel required to formalise name changes. In addition, the Authority partnered with the Ghana Publishing Company to launch an electronic gazette platform to streamline the process for graduates needing record corrections.
She added that the NSA has been engaging tertiary institutions to expedite the submission of graduate lists and update student records in order to reduce delays in posting and deployment.
To illustrate the human impact of data mismatches, Ms Sedoh cited the case of a graduate whose age had been altered at the point of university admission to meet mature student requirements, creating a conflict with her Ghana Card details. She said NSA interventions eventually resolved the issue, allowing the graduate to register.
Despite the progress made, Ms Sedoh acknowledged that some challenges remain, particularly where institutions delay updating records even after personnel complete the required corrective processes. She reaffirmed the Authority’s commitment to resolving all outstanding issues before the final portal closure on December 22, 2025.
She urged graduates to report to their assigned posts, comply with regional validation requirements and use the final one-week reopening period to regularise any remaining challenges. Ms Sedoh said the measures were designed to protect the integrity of the National Service Scheme while ensuring that no eligible graduate is unfairly excluded.
She concluded by reiterating the NSA’s commitment to transparent, efficient and equitable service delivery through the use of technology and inter-agency collaboration.
