By The National Board for Technical Education has announced that all Higher National Diploma admissions across polytechnics, allied institutions and colleges of nursing sciences and health technology will now be processed through the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board.
The Directive
The decision was outlined in a circular dated September 9, 2026, addressed to rectors and provosts of the affected institutions and signed by NBTE Executive Secretary, Prof Idris Bugaje. According to the circular, the move follows a meeting between Minister of Education Dr Tunji Alausa and key stakeholders, including JAMB, the National Youth Service Corps, the NBTE and the Federal Ministry of Education.
Bugaje said the change is designed to centralise the admission process and eliminate what the circular described as “illegal and compromised admissions” that have previously jeopardised students’ NYSC mobilisation after completing 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,” the circular read. It further instructed that “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.”
JAMB Confirms Compliance
Responding to the development, JAMB’s Head of Media and Information, Fabian Benjamin, told AfrikTimes on Sunday that the board would fall in line 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.
Changes to Part-Time Admissions
The circular also addressed part-time admissions, stating that with all part-time ND admissions now under JAMB’s purview, the share of part-time students has been capped at 50 percent of each institution’s approved full-time quota.
Restrictions on NCE/HND Combination
The NBTE reaffirmed an earlier circular issued on September 7 that bars the presentation of NCE/HND combination holders for NYSC mobilisation. Under the new framework, NCE holders seeking admission into HND programmes must go through “direct admission” via JAMB and are required to first obtain a valid ND before proceeding to HND studies. In such cases, only the ND and HND certificates will be recognised as valid for NYSC mobilisation purposes.
Review of UTME Exemptions
The board also indicated that the Minister of Education would review the current list of ND agriculture-related programmes whose candidates are exempted from sitting the written Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, with a view to potentially extending that exemption to other programmes. NBTE has been tasked with making a formal submission on the matter, with input expected from the Committee of Heads of Nigerian Polytechnics and Similar Institutions.
Compliance and Enforcement
The circular carried a strong warning to institutional heads, stating that all rectors and provosts must ensure strict compliance with the new directive, and that any violation would attract “appropriate regulatory sanctions, including withdrawal of operational licence.”
Bugaje added that the minister had also approved the resolution of outstanding cases involving legally admitted ND part-time and HND full-time candidates, with the goal of ensuring they are mobilised for NYSC as quickly as possible, in keeping with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
According to the NBTE, the shift to JAMB’s platform is also expected to ensure admissions are granted strictly for accredited programmes and within each institution’s approved carrying capacity. “With digitisation, there shall be no hiding place for illegal admissions,” the board said.
