JAMB to Take Over All HND Admissions in Polytechnics, FG Board Announces

• The National Board for Technical Education announced that JAMB will now handle all HND admissions across polytechnics and allied institutions
• A circular signed by NBTE Executive Secretary Prof Idris Bugaje warned rectors and provosts that breaching the directive could cost their institutions their operating licences
• The move follows a high-level meeting involving the Minister of Education, JAMB, NYSC, and the Federal Ministry of Education

The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has directed that the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) will take control of all Higher National Diploma admissions across Nigerian polytechnics, colleges of nursing sciences, health technology institutions, and other allied institutions, effective from the current session.

The directive was contained in a circular dated September 9, 2026, signed by NBTE Executive Secretary Prof Idris Bugaje and addressed to rectors and provosts of all affected institutions.

According to PUNCH, Prof Bugaje said the decision followed a meeting convened by the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, with key stakeholders including JAMB, the National Youth Service Corps, the NBTE, and the Federal Ministry of Education.

Why JAMB is taking over HND admissions

The NBTE said the centralisation was meant to stamp out irregular practices in the admissions process. "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 circular read. "With digitisation, there shall be no hiding place for illegal admissions," the board added.

The Federal Ministry of Education is expected to release a fuller statement on the policy next week, while the NBTE has been asked to develop HND Admission Guidelines and submit them to JAMB to support the digital platform. Those guidelines will cover the waiting period National Diploma holders must observe before progressing to HND studies, as well as exemptions for certain health-related ND programmes.

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

JAMB's Head of Media and Information, Fabian Benjamin, confirmed the board's position when contacted. "It's a directive from above and ours is to comply to ensure that the good intentions of the government are achieved," he said.

Consequences for non-compliance

The circular warned that rectors and provosts who fail to comply face "appropriate regulatory sanctions, including withdrawal of operational licence."

The NBTE also reaffirmed a September 7 circular that bars NCE/HND combination holders from being presented for NYSC mobilisation. Going forward, NCE holders who wish to pursue HND programmes must first obtain a valid National Diploma and gain admission through JAMB. Only the ND and HND certificates will count as valid qualifications for NYSC mobilisation under such arrangements.

Prof Bugaje said the Minister of Education had approved the resolution of outstanding cases involving legally admitted ND part-time and HND full-time students, to ensure they are mobilised for NYSC promptly in line with the Federal Government's Renewed Hope Agenda. The board also stressed that under the new framework, admissions would only be granted for accredited programmes within approved carrying capacities.

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