The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has announced that the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) will, from the current admission session, take over all Higher National Diploma admissions in polytechnics, allied institutions, colleges of nursing sciences and health technology across Nigeria.

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

According to the Board, the policy followed a stakeholders’ meeting involving the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, JAMB, the National Youth Service Corps, NBTE and the Federal Ministry of Education.

NBTE said the centralisation of HND admissions under JAMB is aimed at curbing what it described as “illegal and compromised admissions,” which it said could jeopardise graduates’ mobilisation for the NYSC scheme.

“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 stated.

The Board said it would immediately develop HND admission guidelines and submit them to JAMB to guide the digital admission platform. The guidelines are expected to address, among other things, the required waiting period for National Diploma holders before proceeding to HND and exemptions applicable to certain health-related ND programmes.

Reacting to the development, JAMB’s Head of Media and Information, Fabian Benjamin, said the examination body 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.

The circular also provides that all part-time ND admissions will now pass through JAMB, while the number of part-time students an institution can admit has been capped at 50 per cent of its approved full-time admission quota.

NBTE also reaffirmed an earlier directive 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 apply through JAMB under “direct admission” and must first obtain a valid National Diploma before progressing to HND studies. Only the ND and HND certificates will be recognised for NYSC mobilisation in such cases.

The Board warned rectors and provosts to ensure strict compliance with the new admission framework, stating that violations could attract regulatory sanctions, including the withdrawal of an institution’s operational licence.

NBTE further said the minister had approved the resolution of outstanding cases involving legally admitted ND part-time and HND full-time candidates to enable their mobilisation for NYSC as soon as possible.

According to the Board, integrating HND admissions into JAMB’s system will also ensure that students are admitted only into accredited programmes and within approved institutional carrying capacities.

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

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