Nearly 29,000 national service personnel are currently posted to private sector organisations across Ghana, the National Service Authority (NSA) has disclosed, as it raises concern over employers failing to verify mandatory service certificates before recruitment.

Deputy Director General of Operations, Lieutenant Colonel Moses Dok Nach Kpeungu, revealed the figures during an interview on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show. He said the personnel form part of the approximately 99,500 service personnel currently deployed nationwide.

According to him, the remaining personnel are serving in public sector institutions, where their monthly allowances are paid directly by the government.

The latest figures come as the Authority intensifies public education on compliance with national service laws, particularly among private employers.

Lt. Col. Kpeungu said the large number of service personnel in the private sector highlights why companies must strictly verify certificates before offering employment.

Private organisations that receive national service personnel are independently responsible for paying them a monthly allowance of at least GH₵715.

“There are people who don’t know that national service is mandatory,” he said. “There are others who don’t know that if you are an employer, you must inspect the person’s national service certificate — it’s a basic, fundamental requirement.”

He explained that some employers may be unaware of the law, while others may simply ignore it.

The Deputy Director General said the NSA is currently prioritising engagement and awareness creation rather than immediate punishment.

However, he stressed that sanctions remain available under the law for institutions found to have employed persons without valid national service certificates.

According to him, affected organisations will first be given a period to regularise the status of such workers before any further action is taken.

National service remains a mandatory one-year programme for many graduates of accredited tertiary institutions in Ghana and is often required before permanent employment in both the public and private sectors.