JAMB Clarifies: We’re Not Responsible for HND or NYSC Issues

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has clarified that it is not responsible for admissions into Higher National Diploma (HND) programmes or for the inability of some polytechnic graduates to be mobilised for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

The Registrar of JAMB, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, made the clarification while meeting with the leadership of the National Association of Polytechnic Students (NAPS), led by Comrade Eshofune Paul Oghayan. The position was contained in the Board’s official bulletin released on Monday and signed by its Public Communication Advisor, Fabian Benjamin.

What JAMB said

According to Prof. Oloyede, JAMB’s mandate is strictly limited to conducting entrance examinations and processing admissions into first-degree, National Diploma (ND), and Nigerian Certificate in Education (NCE) programmes.

“The Board is not responsible for admitting HND students into polytechnics and, therefore, has no data to facilitate their entry into the NYSC scheme,” he said.

He advised students facing challenges with NYSC mobilisation to direct their complaints to the appropriate institutions rather than blaming JAMB. Prof. Oloyede explained that once candidates complete their ND programmes and seek admission into HND programmes, the responsibility for their admission rests entirely with the institutions offering those programmes.

More details

The Registrar raised serious concerns about irregular admission practices in some polytechnics. He noted that some institutions admit more ND candidates than permitted by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), creating discrepancies when such graduates proceed to HND programmes in other schools.

He also criticised certain “Daily Part-Time” HND programmes, describing them as exploitative. Graduates from such unconventional programmes, he warned, may face outright rejection during NYSC mobilisation.

“Some polytechnics have conducted illegal admissions, with one institution reportedly having over 42,000 irregular cases,” Prof. Oloyede stated.

He further emphasised the role of JAMB’s Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS), warning that any admission conducted outside CAPS is null and void. “If institutions follow the proper process, there would be no problem. On our part, we will continue to render quality service beneficial to all stakeholders. Let’s do things properly,” he added.

What you should know

As previously reported by NaijaChoice News, a total of 2,243,816 candidates registered for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) nationwide. Lagos led with 321,814 registrants, followed by Kaduna (303,498), FCT-Abuja (302,963), and Ogun (137,156).

The Board has projected N23.8 billion in internally generated revenue for 2026, an increase of N4 billion from its 2025 target, with N6 billion to be remitted to the Federation Account as operating surplus.

Ahead of the 2026 UTME, JAMB created 1,000 examination centres nationwide, up from fewer than 800 in 2025, to improve access and logistics for candidates.

The clarification from Prof. Oloyede is expected to end the longstanding blame game by polytechnic graduates who have repeatedly attributed NYSC mobilisation hitches to JAMB.