JAMB will now handle all HND admissions in polytechnics — NBTE

The National Board for Technical Education has announced that all Higher National Diploma admissions in polytechnics, allied institutions and colleges of nursing sciences and health technology will now be handled by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board.

The decision was contained in a circular dated September 9, 2026, which was sighted by PUNCH Online on Saturday.

The circular was signed by the NBTE Executive Secretary, Prof Idris Bugaje, and addressed to all rectors and provosts of the affected institutions.

According to the circular, the decision followed a meeting between the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, with key stakeholders including JAMB, the National Youth Service Corps, NBTE and the Federal Ministry of Education.

Bugaje said the move was aimed at ensuring a centralised admission process and curbing “illegal and compromised admissions”.

It read, “All HND admissions in all institutions shall, from this session, be taken over by JAMB to provide a centralised process and avoid illegal and compromised admissions, jeopardising students’ mobilisation for NYSC after HND. The FME shall issue a statement on this next week with further details.

“NBTE shall immediately develop HND Admission Guidelines and submit to JAMB to guide the digital platform for the admission, including the waiting period for ND holders before proceeding to HND and exemption for certain ND Health-related programs.”

Reacting to the development, JAMB’s Head of Media and Information, Fabian Benjamin, told PUNCH Online on Sunday that the board would comply with the directive.

“It’s a directive from above and ours is to comply to ensure that the good intentions of the government are achieved,” he said.

On part-time admissions, the circular stated that with all part-time ND admissions now under JAMB, the proportion of part-time students has been capped at 50 per cent of each institution’s approved full-time quota.

The NBTE also reaffirmed an earlier circular issued on September 7, which prohibits the presentation of NCE/HND combination holders for NYSC mobilisation.

Under the new directive, NCE holders can only gain admission into HND programmes through “direct admission” via JAMB, and must first obtain a valid ND before proceeding to HND studies.

Only the ND and HND certificates will be recognised as valid for NYSC mobilisation in such cases.

The board said the Minister of Education would review the list of ND agriculture-related programmes whose candidates are exempted from the written Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, with a view to considering other programmes.

NBTE has been directed to make a submission, with the Committee of Heads of Nigerian Polytechnics and Similar Institutions expected to provide input.

The circular warned that all rectors and provosts must ensure strict compliance, noting that any breach would attract “appropriate regulatory sanctions, including withdrawal of operational licence.”

Bugaje added that the minister had approved the resolution of all outstanding cases involving legally admitted ND part-time and HND full-time candidates, to ensure they are mobilised for NYSC as soon as possible, in line with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

According to the NBTE, the integration would also ensure that admissions were granted only for accredited programmes and within approved carrying capacities.

“With digitisation, there shall be no hiding place for illegal admissions,” the board said.