Popular Presidential Candidate Vows To Scrap JAMB, Replace NYSC With Voluntary National Job Corps
Popular Presidential Candidate Vows To Scrap JAMB, Replace NYSC With Voluntary National Job Corps
According to him, tertiary institutions should be solely responsible for determining admissions through a transparent and merit-based process rather than relying on JAMB.
Human rights activist and presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has declared that he would abolish the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and scrap the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in their current forms if elected President of Nigeria.
Sowore made the declaration in a post shared on his X account on Wednesday, outlining sweeping reforms aimed at dismantling bureaucratic barriers in Nigeria’s education system and replacing compulsory youth service with a job-focused programme.
According to him, tertiary institutions should be solely responsible for determining admissions through a transparent and merit-based process rather than relying on JAMB.
“When I become President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) will be abolished,” Sowore said.
“Admission into tertiary institutions should be determined by the institutions themselves under a transparent, merit-based system, not by another layer of bureaucracy.”
Sowore also announced plans to abolish the NYSC in its present structure, arguing that Nigerian youths require employment opportunities and practical skills rather than compulsory national service.
He said the existing scheme would be replaced with a voluntary National Job Corps designed to provide employment, entrepreneurship support and career development.
When I become President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria:@JAMBHQ 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 National Youth… pic.twitter.com/67eVK4zQHl
— Omoyele Sowore (@sowore) July 1, 2026
“The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), 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.
“Nigeria’s young people do not need more compulsory schemes. They need opportunities, jobs, skills, and the freedom to choose their future.”
Sowore’s latest proposal is reigniting debate over the future of JAMB and the NYSC, two long-standing federal institutions that have repeatedly faced criticism over allegations of inefficiency, bureaucratic bottlenecks, funding concerns and questions about their relevance in addressing the country’s education and youth unemployment challenges.
The Nigerian government under President Bola Tinubu recently announced historic reforms in NYSC, including corps members participating in the scheme to now undergo a redesigned six-week orientation programme, marking what the Federal Government described as the first comprehensive review of the scheme in its 53-year history.
Currently, corps members undergo a three-week orientation programme.
Beyond the extended orientation programme, other reforms approved by the Federal Executive Council include a technology-driven call-up process, risk-sensitive deployment of corps members, skills-based primary assignments aligned with academic qualifications and career pathways, and the introduction of civilian operational leadership while the military continues to provide security support.
The reforms also provide for improved camp standards through a national grading and certification system, as well as the introduction of a new graduation ceremony to replace the Passing Out Parade, and a redesigned NYSC uniform ‘that reflects professionalism and national pride.’
