Omoyele Sowore, the African Action Congress presidential candidate, pledged to dismantle the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board if he wins the presidency. He believes universities should handle admissions independently using transparent merit-based criteria rather than relying on a centralised examination body.
The activist also committed to scrapping the National Youth Service Corps in its current form. In a post on X, Sowore outlined his vision for a replacement scheme.
"When I become President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, @JAMBHQ will be abolished," he wrote. He stressed that tertiary institutions should control their own admission processes without bureaucratic interference.
Sowore said he'd establish a two-year voluntary National Job Corps to replace the NYSC. This new programme would differ significantly from the mandatory scheme currently in place.
The replacement scheme would guarantee participants "meaningful employment, practical skills, entrepreneurship support, and pathways into permanent careers," according to him. He argued the current system fails young Nigerians.
"Nigeria's young people do not need more compulsory schemes," Sowore added. "They need opportunities, jobs, skills, and the freedom to choose their future."
His proposals target what he sees as outdated institutional frameworks constraining youth development. The plans reflect broader criticism of Nigeria's centralised examination and mandatory service systems among reformers and civil society groups.
