AAC presidential candidate and activist, Omoyele Sowore, has said he would abolish the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board and scrap the National Youth Service Corps in their current forms if elected President of Nigeria.
Sowore made the declaration in a post on his X handle on Wednesday, arguing that the two institutions have become outdated and should be replaced with systems that prioritise merit, employment and practical skills.
Announcing his education reform plans, Sowore wrote, “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.”
The former presidential candidate argued that universities, polytechnics and colleges of education should have the autonomy to admit qualified candidates without relying on a central examination body, maintaining that the current process creates unnecessary bureaucracy.
On the future of the National Youth Service Corps, Sowore said his administration would replace the mandatory one-year national service with 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 said.
Explaining the rationale behind the proposal, Sowore insisted that young Nigerians need access to jobs and economic opportunities rather than compulsory government schemes.
“Nigeria’s young people do not need more compulsory schemes. They need opportunities, jobs, skills, and the freedom to choose their future,” he added.
Sowore’s comments come barely a day after the Federal Executive Council approved a comprehensive overhaul of the NYSC scheme, the first major review of the programme since its establishment in 1973.
As earlier reported by PUNCH Online, the reforms extend the orientation camp from three weeks to six weeks, introduce 11 specialised career streams, restructure deployment to reflect prevailing security realities, replace the traditional Passing Out Parade with a graduation ceremony and place greater emphasis on skills acquisition, financial literacy, entrepreneurship and career development.
The reforms also provide for civilian leadership of the scheme, upgraded camp facilities through a national grading and certification system, technology-driven deployment and skills-based primary assignments aligned with corps members’ academic backgrounds. The Attorney-General of the Federation has also been directed to amend the NYSC Act to give legal backing to the reforms.
The Federal Government said the changes are aimed at transforming the 53-year-old scheme into a productivity-driven institution capable of equipping young Nigerians with practical skills while supporting the country’s ambition of building a $1tn economy.
Sowore also criticised JAMB despite the examination body’s recent policy reforms.
Meanwhile, JAMB recently announced the discontinuation of affiliated degree programmes in Colleges of Education from the 2026/2027 academic session, introduced new admission pathways for affected candidates and exempted applicants seeking admission into National Certificate in Education and selected agriculture-related National Diploma programmes from sitting the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination.
The board has also maintained its minimum admission age policy and continued efforts to curb illegal admissions through its Central Admissions Processing System.
Sowore, however, maintained that admissions into tertiary institutions should be handled directly by universities and other higher institutions without JAMB acting as an intermediary.