JAMB To Take Over All HND Admissions In Polytechnics, Allied Institutions — NBTE
The National Board for Technical Education has announced that the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board will henceforth handle all Higher National Diploma admissions in polytechnics and other affected tertiary institutions across the country.
The directive covers polytechnics, allied institutions, colleges of nursing sciences and colleges of health technology, according to a circular issued by the NBTE on September 9, 2026.
The circular, signed by the Executive Secretary of the NBTE, Prof. Idris Bugaje, was addressed to rectors and provosts of the affected institutions.
The board said the decision followed a meeting between the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, and key stakeholders, including JAMB, the National Youth Service Corps, the NBTE and the Federal Ministry of Education.
According to the NBTE, the new arrangement is aimed at centralising the admission process and preventing illegal and compromised admissions that could affect students’ eligibility for mobilisation for the NYSC after completing their HND programmes.
The circular stated that all HND admissions in the affected institutions would be taken over by JAMB from the current academic session. It added that the Federal Ministry of Education would issue a statement containing further details.
The NBTE also directed that HND admission guidelines be developed and submitted to JAMB to guide the digital admission platform. The guidelines are expected to cover issues such as the waiting period for National Diploma holders before progressing to HND programmes, as well as exemptions for certain ND health-related programmes.
Confirming JAMB’s readiness to implement the directive, the board’s Head of Media and Information, Fabian Benjamin, said the institution would comply with the government’s decision.
“It’s a directive from above and ours is to comply to ensure that the good intentions of the government are achieved,” Benjamin said.
On part-time admissions, the NBTE stated that with all part-time ND admissions now under JAMB, the proportion of part-time students in each institution would be limited to 50 per cent of the approved full-time admission quota.
The board also reaffirmed an earlier directive issued on September 7 prohibiting the presentation of candidates holding a combination of NCE and HND qualifications for NYSC mobilisation.
Under the new arrangement, NCE holders seeking admission into HND programmes must obtain admission through JAMB via the direct admission route and must first acquire a valid National Diploma before proceeding to HND studies.
The NBTE further stated that only ND and HND certificates would be recognised for NYSC mobilisation in such cases.
The board said the Minister of Education would also review the existing list of ND agriculture-related programmes whose candidates are exempted from the written Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, with consideration being given to extending the exemption to other programmes.
The NBTE has been directed to make a submission on the matter, while the Committee of Heads of Nigerian Polytechnics and Similar Institutions is expected to provide input.
The circular warned rectors and provosts of the affected institutions to ensure strict compliance with the new directives, noting that violations could attract regulatory sanctions, including withdrawal of an institution’s operational licence.
Bugaje further disclosed that the Minister had approved the resolution of outstanding cases involving legally admitted ND part-time and HND full-time students to enable them to be mobilised for NYSC as soon as possible.
The NBTE said the new centralised and digitalised admission system would also ensure that admissions were granted only for accredited programmes and within the approved carrying capacities of institutions.
The board added that the digitisation of the admission process would make it more difficult for institutions to conduct unauthorised admissions.