The Vice President and flag bearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, sparked conversation during a speech at the UPSA auditorium in Accra Wednesday night, proposing a significant shift in Ghana’s national service scheme.
Dr. Bawumia stressed the need to prioritize job creation for Ghanaian youth.
He believes the current mandatory nature of national service might hinder that goal.
Under his proposed policy which he intends to implement if elected President, graduates who secure employment upon completing their education would be exempt from national service.
This exemption would make them immediately available to contribute to the workforce.
More broadly, Bawumia suggests making national service optional for all graduates. This would allow students the freedom to choose whether to participate, potentially opening up more immediate career opportunities.
Dr. Bawumia envisions this change encouraging companies to actively recruit on university campuses, directly connecting with a readily available pool of talent.
He said: “Ladies and Gentlemen, to help our youth get jobs, I believe it is time to rethink the concept of our current national service scheme. My government will propose that those who after completion of their education can secure jobs would be exempted from national service. National service will no longer be mandatory and students will have the option to decide whether to do national service. This will also encourage companies to go to campuses for recruitment annually”.