Sowore Vows to Scrap JAMB and Replace NYSC with Paid National Job Corps if Elected President

• AAC presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore has unveiled sweeping education and youth reform plans, promising to scrap JAMB and replace the NYSC with a voluntary two-year National Job Corps focused on employment, skills acquisition, and entrepreneurship.

Former presidential candidate and African Action Congress (AAC) leader, Omoyele Sowore, has announced plans to abolish the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and overhaul the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) if elected President of Nigeria.

In a statement shared on his X (formerly Twitter) account, Sowore described both institutions as outdated, arguing that they no longer meet the needs of today’s young Nigerians and should be replaced with systems that promote merit, employment, and practical skills.

Universities Should Control Admissions

Sowore said his administration would eliminate JAMB, allowing universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education to manage their own admission processes under a transparent, merit-based system.

According to him, requiring students to pass through a central examination body before gaining admission has created unnecessary bureaucracy and delayed access to higher education.

He argued that tertiary institutions should have the autonomy to determine who qualifies for admission without relying on an intermediary.

NYSC to Be Replaced with a Voluntary Job Programme

The activist also proposed scrapping the current one-year mandatory National Youth Service Corps, replacing it with a two-year voluntary National Job Corps designed to equip young Nigerians with practical skills while providing meaningful employment opportunities.

Under the proposed programme, participants would receive entrepreneurship support, career development opportunities, and pathways into permanent employment rather than simply completing a compulsory national service year.

Sowore maintained that Nigeria’s youths need access to sustainable jobs and economic opportunities instead of mandatory 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 stated.

Proposal Comes Amid Major NYSC Reforms

Sowore’s comments come just days after the Federal Executive Council approved the most significant reform of the NYSC scheme since it was established in 1973.

The approved reforms include extending the orientation camp from three weeks to six weeks, introducing 11 specialised career streams, improving skills acquisition programmes, enhancing financial literacy and entrepreneurship training, modernising deployment processes, and replacing the traditional Passing Out Parade with a graduation ceremony.

The Federal Government also plans to amend the NYSC Act to provide legal backing for the reforms, saying the changes are aimed at transforming the scheme into a productivity-driven institution capable of supporting Nigeria’s ambition of building a $1 trillion economy.

JAMB Also Undergoing Changes

Despite recent reforms introduced by JAMB—including new admission pathways, exemptions for certain programmes from the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), and continued efforts to tackle illegal admissions through its Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS)—Sowore insists the examination body should no longer serve as the gateway to higher education.

He believes universities and other tertiary institutions are better positioned to conduct their own admission processes without the involvement of a central agency.

While Sowore’s proposals have sparked fresh debate about the future of Nigeria’s education and youth development systems, any move to abolish or restructure JAMB and the NYSC would require significant legislative changes and broad national consensus.