President John Dramani Mahama has directed a significant expansion in recruitment into Ghana’s security services, increasing the number of personnel to be enlisted over the next four years.
The directive was announced by the Presidency in a statement signed by Felix Kwakye Ofosu, Spokesperson to the President and Minister for Government Communications, on Monday, March 16, 2026.
The announcement followed a high-level meeting convened by the President with the heads of various security agencies to review the ongoing recruitment process across the country’s security institutions.
Present at the meeting were the Minister for the Interior, the Acting Minister for Defence, the Chief of Staff, the Secretary to the President, the Senior Presidential Advisor on Governmental Affairs, and the National Security Coordinator. Also in attendance were the heads of major security agencies including the Ghana Police Service, Ghana Prisons Service, Ghana National Fire Service, Ghana Immigration Service, and the Narcotics Control Commission.
According to the statement, the President instructed that the total number of men and women to be recruited into the various security services be increased from 20,000 to 40,000 over a four-year period.
The move is aimed at strengthening national security capacity and ensuring that the country’s security institutions are adequately staffed to address emerging security challenges.
President Mahama also emphasised the need for transparency, fairness, and integrity throughout the recruitment process. He directed the heads of the security agencies to ensure that the exercise is conducted in a manner that upholds public confidence and provides equal opportunity for all qualified applicants.
The government believes the expanded recruitment will not only improve operational efficiency across the security services but also create employment opportunities for thousands of young Ghanaians.
