National Service Scheme Programmes, 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). The objectives of the Scheme are to:
1. Encourage the spirit of national service among ALL segments of Ghanaian society in the effort of nation-building through active participation.
2. Undertake projects designed to combat hunger, illiteracy, disease and unemployment in Ghana.
3. Help provide essential services and amenities, particularly in towns and villages of the rural areas of Ghana.
4. Develop skilled manpower through practical training.
5. Promote national unity and strengthen the bonds of common citizenship among Ghanaians.
The Act mandates the Scheme to mobilise and deploy “any person to whom the Scheme applies to be engaged, full time, in any of the following fields”:
a. Agriculture
b. Co-operatives
c. Education
d. Health
e. Local Government
f. Military
g. Rural Development, including surveying, physical planning, civil engineering and rural industries
h. Youth programmes
i. Any other field that the Board may prescribe from time to time.
Any such person shall comply with the directions of the Board.