African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has pledged to abolish the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and replace the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) with a voluntary employment-focused programme if elected President of Nigeria.
Sowore unveiled the proposals on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, in a post on his verified X account, where he outlined what he described as key reforms aimed at reshaping the country’s education and youth development systems.
Under the proposal, universities, polytechnics and colleges of education would assume full responsibility for admitting students through transparent, merit-based processes, ending JAMB’s role in tertiary admissions.
According to him, tertiary institutions are better placed to determine the suitability of applicants without the involvement of a central admissions body, which he argued has become an unnecessary layer of bureaucracy.
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Sowore also proposed scrapping the NYSC in its current form and replacing it with a two-year voluntary National Job Corps.
He said the proposed corps would focus on creating employment opportunities for participants, equipping them with practical skills, supporting entrepreneurship and providing clear pathways to permanent careers.
The AAC presidential candidate maintained that government policies should prioritize job creation, skills development and economic empowerment rather than compulsory post-graduation programmes.
He argued that giving young Nigerians greater access to employment opportunities and the freedom to choose their career paths would better address the country’s development needs than retaining mandatory national service.
The proposals form part of Sowore’s policy agenda ahead of the 2027 presidential election and are expected to add momentum to the ongoing public debate over reforms to Nigeria’s tertiary admission system and the future of the NYSC.