The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has directed that all Higher National Diploma (HND) admissions in polytechnics, allied institutions, colleges of nursing sciences and health technology be handled by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).
The directive was contained in a circular dated Sept. 9, 2026, signed by the Executive Secretary of NBTE, Prof. Idris Bugaje, and addressed to rectors and provosts of affected institutions.
Bugaje said the decision followed a meeting between the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, and key stakeholders, including JAMB, the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), NBTE and the Federal Ministry of Education (FME).
He said the move was aimed at centralising the admission process and preventing illegal and compromised admissions that could affect students’ mobilisation for the NYSC after obtaining their HND.
“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 said.
The executive secretary said NBTE would immediately develop HND Admission Guidelines and submit them to JAMB to guide the digital admission platform.
He said the guidelines would cover issues including the waiting period for National Diploma (ND) holders before proceeding to HND and exemptions for certain ND health-related programmes.
Reacting to the development, JAMB’s Head of Media and Information, Fabian Benjamin, said 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,” Benjamin said.
The circular also stated that with all part-time ND admissions now under JAMB, the proportion of part-time students had been capped at 50 per cent of each institution’s approved full-time quota.
NBTE also reaffirmed its earlier circular of Sept. 7, which prohibited the presentation of candidates holding NCE/HND combinations for NYSC mobilisation.
Under the directive, holders of the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) can only gain admission into HND programmes through direct admission via JAMB after obtaining a valid ND.
The board said only ND and HND certificates would be recognised for NYSC mobilisation in such cases.
It added that the Minister of Education would review the list of ND agriculture-related programmes whose candidates were exempted from the written Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), with a view to considering other programmes.
According to the circular, NBTE had been directed to make a submission on the matter, while the Committee of Heads of Nigerian Polytechnics and Similar Institutions would provide its input.
The board warned rectors and provosts to ensure strict compliance with the directives, saying breaches would attract appropriate regulatory sanctions, including withdrawal of operational licences.
Bugaje further said the minister had approved the resolution of all outstanding cases involving legally admitted ND part-time and HND full-time candidates to enable them to be mobilised for NYSC as soon as possible.
He said the measure was in line with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
According to NBTE, the integration of admissions through JAMB would 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.
