The Minister of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovation, Samuel Nartey George has proposed an increase in the age limit for enlistment into the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF).
According to him, the maximum age should be 35 years instead of the current 27 years for tradesmen and 25 years for non‑tradesmen.
In a social media post on Wednesday [Oct 8, 2025], Mr George argued that many Ghanaians in their thirties remain physically fit and mentally capable of serving in the military.
"I honestly believe it is time for our beloved Nation to re-examine the maximum age for enlistment into our military services. There are people in their 30s who are physically fit and sound enough to serve their Nation. We must not deny them this opportunity simply because of their age," he wrote and posted on X.
"There is precedence across the world. I believe an upper limit of 35 years would serve our young people better. Let's nurture their dreams and not kill it," he added.
The Member of Parliament for Assin South and Ranking Member on the Parliamentary Select Committee on Security, Rev John Ntim Fordjour, has rejected a proposal by the Minister of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, and the Member of Parliament for South Dayi, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, for the recruitment age limit for the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) to be increased to 35 years.
Describing the proposal as a “misconceived and misguided populist agenda,” Rev Fordjour alleged that it was an attempt to recruit unqualified and overaged political party supporters [foot soldiers] into the Armed Forces.
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The proposal received support from Member of Parliament for South Dayi, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, who also echoed the call in a post on X .
He cited international examples of enlistment age limits to show that Ghana’s current policy may be unnecessarily restrictive.
Mr Dafeamekpor also noted that many party foot soldiers have raised concerns about the existing age cap, calling for reforms to make the recruitment process more inclusive.
Highlights from his research:
In Africa:
Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, and Togo allow enlistment up to 35 years.
Kenya’s limit varies by role, reaching up to 39 years for certain positions.
Tanzania is an outlier with maximums as high as 62 years.
In Europe:
The UK limits height with role; for example, regular soldiers may enlist up to around 36 years, reservists up to 42.
Germany’s maximum general enlistment age is reported at 50 years.
North America, Asia & Oceania also show a wide range, with countries such as Australia allowing much older maximum enlistment ages in some categories.
Dafeamekpor noted that Ghana could safely raise its cap to 35 years or even 40 years, especially for medically fit individuals or roles that are non‑combatant.
Current Age Limit by GAF
Official recruitment guidelines for GAF as of the 2025 enlistment exercise set the maximum age as follows:
Not more than 25 years for non‑tradesmen.
Not more than 27 years for tradesmen.
Applicants must also fulfil other criteria: be Ghanaian by birth, unmarried, medically fit by GAF’s standards, and meet educational requirements, including BECE and WASSCE credits.
Meanwhile, the GAF has announced that the 2025 enlistment and recruitment exercise will soon commence in all 16 regional capitals across the country.
I have had many calls from our Party foot soldiers regarding the Army Recruitment & max age for prospective Applicants. They aren’t happy.
— Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, Esq. MP. (@etsedafeamekpor) October 8, 2025
So I decided to look at some countries & their set standards in this matter.
These are my findings:
AFRICA:
1. Benin
Minimum: 21 for…
