The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has mandated that all Higher National Diploma (HND) admissions in polytechnics, allied institutions, and colleges of nursing sciences and health technology will now be processed through the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).
This directive was formalised in a circular dated September 9, 2026, signed by the NBTE Executive Secretary, Prof. Idris Bugaje, and distributed to rectors and provosts of all affected institutions. The policy shift follows a high-level meeting involving the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, and key stakeholders, including JAMB, the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), and the Federal Ministry of Education.
Prof. Bugaje explained that the move aims to centralise the admission system and eliminate malpractice. The circular stated, “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.”
He further noted, “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.”
In response to the mandate, JAMB’s Head of Media and Information, Fabian Benjamin, confirmed the board’s readiness to implement the change, stating, “It’s a directive from above and ours is to comply to ensure that the good intentions of the government are achieved.”
The new directive introduces several key changes:
- Part-time Admissions: These are now under JAMB’s purview, with part-time enrollment capped at 50 per cent of an institution’s approved full-time quota.
- NYSC Mobilisation: The board reaffirmed its September 7 circular prohibiting the use of NCE/HND combinations for NYSC mobilisation. NCE holders must now obtain a valid National Diploma (ND) via “direct admission” through JAMB before proceeding to HND studies.
- Exemptions: The Minister of Education is set to review the list of ND agriculture-related programmes currently exempted from the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) to determine if other programmes should be included.
- Compliance: The circular warned that rectors and provosts must ensure strict adherence, stating that any breach would attract “appropriate regulatory sanctions, including withdrawal of operational licence.”
To address existing issues, the Minister has approved the resolution of outstanding cases for legally admitted ND part-time and HND full-time candidates to facilitate their NYSC mobilisation. The board emphasised that the integration ensures admissions are restricted to accredited programmes within approved capacities, noting, “With digitisation, there shall be no hiding place for illegal admissions.”
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