The Federal Government has approved the takeover of Higher National Diploma (HND) admissions by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), in a move aimed at sanitising the admission process and curbing irregularities across polytechnics and other institutions offering HND programmes.
The directive, contained in a circular issued by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), dated September 9, 2026, stated that all HND admissions would henceforth be process through JAMB’s centralised admission session.
The decision followed a meeting involving the Federal Ministry of Education, JAMB, NBTE and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), under the supervision of the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa.
According to the NBTE, the centralisation of HND admissions is intended to address cases of illegal, irregular and compromised admissions, which have in some instances resulted in graduates encountering difficulties during NYSC mobilisation.
The board said it would immediately develop comprehensive guidelines for HND admissions and submit them to JAMB to facilitate the integration of the process into its digital admission platform.
The guidelines are expected to clarify key issues, including the required waiting period for National Diploma (ND) holders seeking admission into HND programmes, as well as possible exemptions for candidates from certain ND health-related programmes.
The Federal Government also approved that part-time National Diploma (ND) admissions must not exceed 50 per cent of an institution’s approved full -time admissions quota. Part-time ND admissions are also being brought under JAMB’s centralised admissions process.
Meanwhile, the government has reaffirmed an earlier NBTE directive concerning candidates with NCE/HND combinations, stating that such candidates should not be presented for NYSC mobilisation.
The Federal Ministry of Education is expected to issue a more detailed statement on the new HND admission arrangement and its implementation in the coming week.
The development represents a significant change in the admission process for prospective HND students and is expected to affect how candidates apply for and secure admission into HND programmes.
-9News Nigeria.
