African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore has pledged to abolish the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and scrap the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in their current forms if elected president, saying both institutions have outlived their usefulness.
Presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has unveiled a major education and youth policy proposal, declaring that he would abolish the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and scrap the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) if elected President of Nigeria in 2027. He said both institutions would be replaced with systems that better reflect the needs of modern Nigerian youths.
Speaking through a statement published on his official X account, Sowore argued that tertiary institutions should be granted full autonomy to admit students based on transparent, merit-based processes without relying on a central examination body.
According to him, JAMB has become an unnecessary bureaucratic layer that delays admissions rather than improving educational standards.
On the NYSC, Sowore said the mandatory one-year national service scheme has failed to address the economic realities facing graduates. He proposed replacing it with a two-year voluntary National Job Corps focused on guaranteed employment opportunities, entrepreneurship support, practical skills and career development.
Sowore’s proposal comes shortly after the Federal Executive Council approved a comprehensive reform of the NYSC scheme, introducing major structural changes, including longer orientation camps, specialised career tracks and expanded skills acquisition programmes.
The AAC candidate maintained that Nigeria’s young people require sustainable employment opportunities rather than compulsory government programmes, insisting that education and youth policies should be redesigned to promote productivity and economic independence.
Sowore said universities, polytechnics and colleges of education should independently determine their admission processes under clear merit-based guidelines.
He also reiterated that his proposed National Job Corps would be voluntary and designed to connect graduates directly to employment, entrepreneurship and long-term career opportunities instead of compulsory national service.
The proposal has sparked fresh debate over the future of two of Nigeria’s longest-standing education and youth institutions. While supporters argue that reforms are necessary to modernise the system, critics say both JAMB and NYSC still play important national roles. The proposal is expected to remain a key talking point as campaigns for the 2027 general election gather momentum.