The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board will now handle Higher National Diploma admissions across polytechnics and other affected institutions in Nigeria, following a directive from the National Board for Technical Education.
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The new policy is aimed at creating a centralised admission process and curbing illegal or compromised admissions that could affect students’ academic progression and eligibility for National Youth Service Corps mobilisation.
The decision was contained in an NBTE circular dated September 9, 2026 and signed by the board’s Executive Secretary, Professor Idris Bugaje. It applies to polytechnics, allied institutions and colleges of nursing sciences and health technology.
According to the NBTE, the move followed discussions involving the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, JAMB, the National Youth Service Corps, NBTE and the Federal Ministry of Education.
Under the new arrangement, JAMB will provide the central digital platform through which HND admissions will be processed.
The NBTE is expected to develop HND admission guidelines and submit them to JAMB. The guidelines will cover issues including the waiting period for National Diploma holders before proceeding to HND programmes and exemptions for certain health related programmes.
JAMB’s Head of Media and Information, Fabian Benjamin, confirmed that the board would comply with the directive.
The policy also forms part of a wider attempt to ensure that admissions are offered only for accredited programmes and within approved institutional carrying capacities.
The NBTE said digitisation would make it more difficult for institutions or individuals to conduct illegal admissions outside approved procedures.
The board has also directed institutions to comply strictly with the new rules, warning that violations could attract regulatory sanctions, including withdrawal of an institution’s operational licence.
The policy is expected to affect how thousands of National Diploma holders progress to HND programmes, making it increasingly important for prospective students to follow approved admission procedures.
The centralisation of HND admissions also signals another major step toward bringing Nigeria’s tertiary admission system under a more coordinated digital framework.
For students, the change could provide greater transparency and reduce uncertainty surrounding the validity of admissions, while institutions will be required to operate within clearly defined regulatory limits.
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