Ghana Army Recruitment: Minister Says Armed Forces to Enlist 12,000 Youth Over 4 Years

• The Ghana Armed Forces is set to recruit 12,000 Ghanaians over the next four years, according to the defence minister
• The recruitment will be part of a nationwide enlistment programme aimed at expanding the country’s military strength
• Prospective applicants have been told to prioritise their health before applying because of the demanding training

The Ghana Armed Forces is set to recruit 12,000 Ghanaians over the next four years.

This is part of a new nationwide enlistment programme aimed at expanding the country’s military strength and offering job opportunities to the youth.

Class FM reported that the Minister of Defence, Dr Edward Omane Boamah, announced this on June 19.

He said the programme is designed to support national security efforts while responding to the growing concerns of youth unemployment.

“This nationwide exercise has been approved by President John Mahama,” Dr Boamah noted in a Facebook post.

“Get ready for a career of service and pride. Make sure you’re medically fit before applying, as the training is intense.”

Boamah urged prospective applicants to prioritise their health before applying, pointing out that military training is demanding and not suited for the medically unfit.

He noted that people have died during military training.

Although exact application dates are yet to be released, the Ghana Armed Forces generally conducts recruitment exercises once each year, often between August and October.

The process involves purchasing a scratch card, completing an online application, and going through various screening stages, including medical, academic, and physical fitness tests.

Boamah indicated that the new programme would be rolled out in phases, with about 3,000 personnel expected to be recruited each year.

This makes it one of the largest planned intakes by the Armed Forces in recent years.

Ghana army's most recent recruitment

The Ghana Armed Forces began a 2024 recruitment drive for the Regular Career Officer Course and Short Service Commission Officers in September 2024.

It published an advert in the Daily Graphic on Friday, September 13, 2024, providing application guidelines during the recruitment process.

As always, the army warned applicants not to engage with middlemen or make unsanctioned payments.

About 90,000 applied for slots in security services

This recruitment process comes after a similar exercise for internal security services in 2024.

The Minister of Interior said about 90,000 persons applied to join Ghana's security services via the recruitment portal.

However, the approved budget only allowed for the recruitment of 12,000 new personnel across the internal security services.

The categories available during the process include General Duty Recruits and Graduate General Duties.

Trader jailed for defrauding 97 men

YEN.com.gh reported that a trader were jailed for five years after being accused of collecting GH¢402,000 from 97 unsuspecting individuals under the pretext of securing them jobs in the security services.

The convict, Dorcas Twene Amankwa, aged 28, was found guilty by a circuit court in Accra at the end of the trial.

Source: YEN.com.gh