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Sowore made the declaration in a post on his X handle on Wednesday, arguing that the two institutions have become outdated and should be replaced with systems that prioritise merit, employment and practical skills.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.
