Presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has unveiled plans to abolish the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and replace the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) with a voluntary employment programme if elected President….
Presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has unveiled plans to abolish the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and replace the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) with a voluntary employment programme if elected President.
Sowore disclosed the proposal in a post on his X handle on Wednesday, describing the current admission and national service systems as outdated and in need of fundamental reforms that prioritise merit, job creation and skills development.
On tertiary education admissions, the presidential candidate argued that higher institutions should regain full authority to admit students without relying on a central examination body.
“When I become President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, JAMB will be abolished. Admission into tertiary institutions should be determined by the institutions themselves under a transparent, merit-based system, not by another layer of bureaucracy.”
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According to him, universities, polytechnics and colleges of education are better positioned to manage admissions transparently, adding that the existing process creates an unnecessary bureaucratic layer.
Sowore also announced plans to discontinue the NYSC in its present structure, saying it would be replaced by a voluntary programme focused on employment and career development.
“The National Youth Service Corps, in its current form, will be scrapped. In its place, we will establish a two-year, voluntary National Job Corps that guarantees participants meaningful employment, practical skills, entrepreneurship support, and pathways into permanent careers.”
He maintained that the country’s young population requires greater access to economic opportunities rather than compulsory government programmes.
“Nigeria’s young people do not need more compulsory schemes. They need opportunities, jobs, skills, and the freedom to choose their future.”
Sowore’s proposal comes a day after the Federal Executive Council approved a comprehensive reform of the NYSC scheme, marking the first major overhaul of the programme since it was established in 1973.
The approved reforms include amendments to the NYSC Act, the introduction of civilian operational leadership, deployment based on corps members’ areas of specialisation, and other measures aimed at transforming the scheme into a skills-driven and productivity-focused institution.
