The National Service Authority (NSA) has officially released PIN codes for 132,393 eligible graduates from 100 accredited tertiary institutions for the 2025/2026 service year.

In a statement dated June 17, Acting Director General of the NSA, Felix Gyamfi, announced the development and highlighted major reforms in data validation that have significantly reduced inflated submissions. According to him, this year’s approved figure marks a 26% average drop compared to the last three years, with a peak decline of 36% from the 2022/2023 period.

“This process has effectively eliminated any form of inflated or bogus submissions,” Mr. Gyamfi noted.

Out of 135,990 submissions received from 122 institutions, only 132,393 were approved. Notably, 3,597 entries from 22 unaccredited institutions were excluded due to their lack of recognition by the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC). The NSA has given these institutions 30 days to regularise their status or risk having their graduates barred from the national service.

In addition, 908 PINs for private applicants — including Ghanaians who studied abroad and individuals who deferred or defaulted in previous years — are pending final verification before release.

Mr. Gyamfi encouraged all applicants to verify their status by June 24, 2025, and reach out via NSA’s support lines if their PINs remain inaccessible.

Military Training Option Introduced

In a new initiative to enhance service discipline and national preparedness, the NSA is introducing a six-week basic military training programme for selected 2025/2026 service personnel.

Interested applicants can opt in during the online registration period from June 17 to July 1, 2025. Those who select this option will receive their agency postings only after completing the training.

“All eligible applicants are advised to complete their registration within the stated period and use available support resources for a smooth enrolment experience,” Mr. Gyamfi added.

Justice Sir Dennis Dominic Adjei, a nominee for the Supreme Court, has called for stricter regulation of digital misconduct, stating that offences committed on social media should be treated with the same seriousness as those committed offline.

Speaking during his vetting by Parliament’s Appointments Committee on Monday, June 16, 2025, Justice Adjei emphasized that Ghana’s existing laws should apply equally across both physical and digital platforms.

Responding to concerns about the rise in fake news, impersonation, and misinformation online, he said:

“If an act is considered a criminal offence in Ghana in the physical world, it should equally be an offence on social media.”

He cited the Communications Act, which already addresses issues like exposing private information or making statements that threaten national security, regardless of the medium used.

Addressing concerns over freedom of expression, Justice Adjei stressed the importance of legal consistency.

“It would be inappropriate to criminalize an act online if it’s not an offence offline. But where the law already exists, the digital space should not offer protection from accountability,” he added.

Justice Adjei currently serves as the Director of the Judicial Training Institute and has contributed significantly to judicial education and legal reforms. He is one of seven individuals being considered for elevation to Ghana’s highest court.

His comments come amid ongoing discussions about the regulation of online platforms in Ghana, particularly during election seasons, when the circulation of misinformation becomes more rampant.

The Trump administration is preparing to expand travel restrictions to include 36 additional countries—among them key U.S. allies like Egypt and Djibouti—according to an internal State Department memo obtained by The Washington Post.

Signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the memo was circulated to U.S. diplomats over the weekend. It gives the listed countries a 60-day deadline to comply with new requirements set by the State Department.

According to the document, some nations failed to meet specific benchmarks, including the inability to provide reliable identity documents or having a significant number of citizens who overstayed U.S. visas. In some cases, the memo cites the absence of a competent or cooperative central government as a concern.

However, the memo also offers a potential reprieve: countries willing to accept deported third-country nationals from the U.S. may receive more favorable consideration.

The countries facing possible visa restrictions, travel bans, or other penalties include 25 African nations: Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Egypt, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

The list also names Caribbean countries such as Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Saint Lucia; as well as four Asian countries—Bhutan, Cambodia, Kyrgyzstan, and Syria—and three Pacific nations: Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.

Each country has until Wednesday at 8 a.m. to submit an initial plan to meet the new criteria. It remains unclear whether restrictions will be immediately enforced after the deadline passes.

This internal memo surfaces just a week after President Trump reintroduced elements of his first-term travel ban, announcing full bans on 12 countries and restrictions on seven others.

In January, the president signed an executive order directing the State Department to evaluate and flag countries with inadequate security vetting processes for possible suspension of travel.

These moves are part of Trump’s broader immigration agenda, which includes aggressive deportation efforts within the U.S. and sweeping international travel limitations. While his hardline immigration stance was anticipated in a second term, the speed and extent of these actions have raised concerns among lawmakers and the public.