In a significant policy announcement, Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, who is also the flagbearer for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has pledged to make National Service optional if elected president.

This means that individuals who graduate from tertiary institutions will no longer be mandated to offer their service to the country, as is currently being done.

During his address at the University of Professional Studies (UPSA) in Accra, Dr. Bawumia said, "National Service will no longer be mandatory. And students will have the option to decide whether to do national service or not."

According to the Vice President, this will help the youth get jobs since companies will be encouraged to go to campuses for recruitment annually.

He was emphatic that "My government will propose that those who after completion of their education can secure jobs would be exempted from National Service."

The National Service programme is a compulsory one-year service required of all citizens of Ghana who are 18 years and above, at the time of deployment. The Scheme which started in 1973 now operates under Act 426 (of 1980).

Personnel who did the one-year non-graduate service shall be required to undertake one year post-tertiary national service.

National Service Personnel shall be entitled to the payment of monthly allowances, the level of which shall be determined by the Ministry of Finance.

In July 2023, Management of the National Service Scheme (NSS) secured government approval for upward adjustment of monthly allowances for National Service Personnel from GHS559.04 to GHS715.57, with effect from January, 2023.

The approval, which was contained in a letter dated 18th July, 2023 and signed by the Deputy Minister for Finance, Hon. Abena Osei-Asare (MP), was as a result of series of engagements between National Service Scheme, Fair Wages and Salaries Commission, and the Ministry of Finance.

For over 5 years, service personnel received GHC559, thus the news was welcomed. But after this news, NSS personnel continue to criticise the government for delay in payment of allowance.