President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has officially launched the National Service Authority (NSA), an initiative aimed at streamlining and enhancing the effectiveness of Ghana’s National Service Scheme (NSS).
The Authority, which replaces the previous NSS structure, will focus on empowering young Ghanaians by providing them with better opportunities for personal and professional growth during their national service.
The Authority is designed to play a crucial role in bridging the gap between academia and the job market, ensuring that graduates not only serve the nation but also acquire the skills necessary for future employment.
Speaking at the launch, President Akufo-Addo emphasized the importance of youth development in building a prosperous nation, noting that the NSA will focus on mentorship, skills training, and leadership programs as part of its new framework.
“The National Service concept provides young people with opportunities to contribute to their country’s economic development, whilst instilling in them a sense of self responsibility, patriotism and civic duty” he said.
He acknowledged the challenges faced by the old scheme, including the mismatch between service placements and the skills sets of graduates, and expressed optimism that the NSA would address these issues.
“The establishment of the national service authority under the new act marks a bold step forward. The transformation of the scheme to an authority encrypts it into transformation and youth development” he emphasized.
He noted that the change marks a new dawn for national service in the country as the authority will provide a more strategic direction, equipping the youth to meet the demands of the modern economy.
The launch of NSA comes as part of broader reforms aimed at creating a more robust and capable workforce in Ghana, with a vision of positioning the country as a leader in youth empowerment across Africa.