The Ghana Armed Forces’ (GAF) recruitment exercise in the Greater Accra Region, temporarily suspended a week ago, has resumed today, Thursday, November 20. President John Dramani Mahama, on Wednesday, November 12, ordered a halt to the exercise in response to a stampede that disrupted the screening process held at the El-Wak Sports Stadium in Accra.

All six potential recruits who tragically lost their lives in the aftermath of the event are female. The unfortunate incident also left several others in critical condition.

The tragedy occurred as thousands of young Ghanaians who had thronged the stadium forced their way through the entry points in an attempt to secure enlistment into the Service.

To avert another possible tragedy, the Minister revealed that his ministry has put in additional safety measures to ensure a smooth and seamless process.

To prevent a recurrence, five separate screening centres have been established to manage the flow of applicants. Only 1,200 applicants are expected to be screened daily.

Speaking to the media, Director-General of Public Affairs at the GAF, Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin, noted, “The numbers that will be at El-Wak will not be more than 1,200. This is because we are going to have two groups there, each made up of 600 potential recruits”.

Meanwhile, the nationwide recruitment exercise for the internal security services has begun and is expected to come to a close on Friday, December 19.

The one-month recruitment exercise will receive applications for the Ghana Police Service, Ghana Prisons Service, Ghana National Fire Service, and the Ghana Immigration Service.

Eligibility requirements for each Service include being Ghanaian by birth, of good character, physically and medically fit, and meeting specific height, age, and academic standards.

Applicants are to purchase a voucher via 713*03# from any mobile network or at any Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB) branch. The nationwide recruitment exercise will come to a close on Friday, December 19.

The general eligibility requirements for the Ghana Police Service are as follows: “All applicants for the 2025 Ghana Police Service recruitment must be Ghanaian by birth, of good character, and free of any criminal record. They should not have been dismissed from any public service or other employment, and must meet the age limits set for their chosen category by November 1, 2025.”

Also, “Male applicants are required to be at least 5 feet 8 inches (173 cm) tall, while females must be at least 5 feet 4 inches (163 cm). Candidates must be physically and medically fit, have five passes in BECE including English and Mathematics, and be ready to undergo basic police and other specialised training.”

However, the Police Service has five categories of entry, including general duty recruits, tradesmen, graduates (in general duty), medical professionals, and those in religious affairs. Under each of the above-listed categories are specific eligibility requirements as stated by the Interior Ministry.

The common qualification across all tradesmen categories states that each applicant must not be more than 35 years old by November 1, 2025, and must possess a technical or vocational certificate (such as GES/COTVET, National Proficiency, City & Guilds, or NVTI) relevant to their trade.

Ghana Prisons

Recruitment into the Ghana Prisons Service also seeks professionals across several disciplines, including General Duties, Agriculture, Education, Legal, and Medical Services. All applicants are expected to be “Ghanaian by birth, of good character, and free from any criminal record. Candidates must have completed National Service, be computer literate, and physically and medically fit according to the Prisons Service standards.

Applicants must be aged between 18 and 35 years as of November 1, 2025, and must not have been dismissed from any public service or other form of employment.

Male applicants must be at least 1.68 metres (5 ft 6 in) tall, while females must be at least 1.57 metres (5 ft 2 in). Candidates must also have an active e-mail account, a mobile phone number, and be ready to undergo paramilitary and physical training.

Medical professionals are additionally required to have completed one year post-housemanship in a registered hospital or clinic.”

Applicants seeking entry into the General Duties of the Service are expected to hold a first degree (at least Second Class Lower Division) in Humanities or Social Sciences and have at least one year of post-qualification work experience.

Additional qualifications are considered an advantage.Interested applicants for the Service’s Agriculture and Education sectors are also expected to possess a first degree (Second Class Lower or above) in fields such as Animal Science, Crop Science, Soil Science, General Agriculture, Agricultural Mechanic, Agribusiness, Agricultural Biotechnology, Agricultural Engineering, or Agricultural Economics, along with one year of post-qualification experience.

Applicants for the Education sector must have qualifications in Basic Education, Early Childhood Education, or Guidance and Counselling, with at least one year of post-qualification experience.

For legal officers, candidates are required to possess a law degree (LLB/BL) and must have been called to the Bar with at least one year of post-qualification experience. Medical professionals are mandated to possess a professional qualification, council registration, and some post-qualification experience.

Ghana National Fire Service

Eligible applicants for the Ghana Fire Service must be Ghanaian by birth, of good character, and free from any criminal record. They must not have been dismissed from any public service or other employment and must meet the age requirements for their category: 18–35 years for Officer Corps, 18–32 years for non-Tradesmen, and 18–35 years for Tradesmen/Artisans, as of November 1, 2025.

Candidates must be physically and medically fit according to Fire Service standards and meet the minimum height requirement of 1.73 metres (5 ft 8 in) for males and 1.63 metres (5 ft 4 in) for females.

Applicants must also have five credits at BECE and five passes at WASSCE/SSSCE, including English and Mathematics, or the equivalent trade qualifications for Tradesmen/Artisans. Additionally, applicants must not be bonded by any organisation.

Ghana Immigration Service

The Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) 2025 recruitment exercise is open to applicants under five main categories: General Duties (Graduate and Non-Graduate), Medical, Religious Affairs, and Tradesmen/Artisans. Categories A and B target university graduates ready for officer-level roles and diploma or secondary school graduates joining as recruits, respectively.

All applicants interested in any of the five categories are expected to be Ghanaian citizens by birth, have no criminal record, be physically and medically fit, possess good character, not be bonded or dismissed from any public service, and meet the minimum height requirements of 1.68 metres for males and 1.57 metres for females.