NSA releases 132,393 PIN codes for 2025/2026 national service; tertiary submissions brop by 26%

The National Service Authority (NSA) has announced the release of PIN codes for 132,393 individuals who are set to participate in the national service for the 2025/2026 year.

These PIN codes, which pertain to graduates from 100 accredited tertiary institutions nationwide, indicate a 26% decrease in submissions compared to the average over the past three years. The NSA attributes this decline to stricter validation processes and the removal of inflated or fraudulent submissions.

For instance, in the 2022/2023 service year, there were 144,773 graduates reported from 275 schools. This year’s numbers have significantly decreased to 132,393 from only 100 institutions, marking a 36% drop in graduate submissions and a 63.6% reduction in the number of contributing schools compared to that time.

The Authority has noted that 3,597 graduates from 22 institutions have been excluded from this year’s mobilization because those schools lack recognition from the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC). The NSA has stated that these graduates will only be considered once they provide verifiable proof of their accreditation.

“All institutional accreditation data mentioned in this announcement has been verified by GTEC,” the NSA emphasized, encouraging institutions with expired accreditation to rectify their status within 30 days to prevent issues for their graduates.

In addition to the PINs for accredited institutions, there are also 908 PIN codes pending final verification for private applicants—Ghanaian students who studied abroad, deferred their service, or defaulted. Those affected are urged to reach out to the NSA if their PINs are still inaccessible by June 24.

Prospective service personnel are required to activate their PIN codes by making a payment of GHS 40 at any ADB Bank branch or GHS 41 through MTN Mobile Money. The registration must be completed at https://smarthub.nss.gov.gh between June 17 and July 1, 2025.