BREAKING: JAMB to Take Over All HND Admissions in Nigerian Polytechnics — NBTE

By OGB Admission Hub | September 13, 2026 The Federal Government has approved a major change in Nigeria’s polytechnic admission system, directing the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to take over the processing of Higher National Diploma (HND) admissions across polytechnics and other institutions offering HND programmes. The development was disclosed in an NBTE circular dated September 9, 2026 , signed by the Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education, Prof. Idris Bugaje . According to reports citing the circular, the new arrangement is to take effect from the current admission session . What the New HND Admission Policy Means Until now, HND admissions were largely handled directly by individual polytechnics and other approved institutions. Candidates normally obtained HND application forms from the institution, underwent the school's screening process and received admission directly from the institution. That arrangement is now set to change. Under the new policy, HND admissions will be centrally processed through JAMB , bringing the HND admission process closer to the system already used for National Diploma and undergraduate admissions. This represents a significant policy shift. As recently as March 2026, JAMB officially stated that it did not admit candidates into HND programmes and that individual institutions were responsible for HND admissions. JAMB explained at the time that its admission mandate covered programmes such as ND, NCE and first degrees, while HND admissions were outside its process. The latest Federal Government decision therefore substantially changes the previous arrangement. Why Is JAMB Taking Over HND Admissions? According to the NBTE circular, the centralised system is intended to tackle illegal, irregular and compromised HND admissions . One major concern is the situation where students complete HND programmes only to encounter problems when being processed for National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) mobilisation because their admission records cannot be properly verified. The policy is expected to create a central admission record for HND students and improve the ability of regulatory agencies to verify how candidates gained admission. The development also comes amid a wider Federal Government campaign against illegal admissions. Education Minister Dr Tunji Alausa recently disclosed that tens of thousands of irregular admissions had been uncovered in colleges of education, while similar concerns were raised about universities and polytechnics. NBTE to Develop New HND Admission Guidelines The NBTE is expected to prepare comprehensive guidelines for HND admissions and forward them to JAMB for use in developing the new digital admission process. According to the report on the circular, the guidelines are expected to address issues such as the required period between completing an ND programme and proceeding to HND, as well as possible exemptions applying to some health-related ND programmes. This means candidates should expect more detailed information on eligibility, registration procedures and how institutions will recommend candidates to JAMB. The Federal Ministry of Education is also expected to release additional details explaining how the new system will operate. ( Will Candidates Still Apply to Individual Polytechnics? This is one of the biggest questions prospective HND students are currently asking. The available report confirms that all HND admissions are to be processed through JAMB , but the full operational procedure — including whether candidates will first apply to their preferred polytechnic before the institution forwards successful applicants to JAMB — has not yet been fully detailed publicly. Candidates should therefore not abandon existing applications or make assumptions about a completely new application procedure until JAMB, NBTE or the Federal Ministry of Education publishes implementation guidelines. OGB Admission Hub will update candidates once those guidelines are officially released. Does This Mean HND Candidates Will Write UTME? Not necessarily. The announcement that JAMB will process HND admissions does not by itself mean that HND candidates will be required to sit for UTME again . JAMB already performs admission-processing functions through its Central Admissions Processing System, and being responsible for an admission process is not automatically the same thing as requiring candidates to write UTME. No provision in the reports on the September 9 circular states that HND applicants must write another UTME. Candidates should therefore disregard claims that a fresh UTME has automatically become compulsory for HND admission unless JAMB or the Federal Ministry of Education officially announces such a requirement. What Happens to Candidates Already Applying for 2026/2027 HND? This is particularly important because many polytechnics have already begun or advanced their 2026/2027 HND admission exercises . For example, some institutions have already been conducting screenings for HND applicants during the current admission cycle. Since NBTE says the JAMB arrangement begins from the current session, institutions may eventually be required to migrate or forward their HND admission records into the approved central system. However, candidates should continue following instructions from their institutions until a specific migration or registration procedure is announced. Do not make another payment or create unofficial admission records based simply on social-media claims. Existing HND Entry Requirements Remain Important NBTE's published HND admission requirements generally require candidates to possess an appropriate National Diploma from an accredited programme , together with relevant entry qualifications and post-ND industrial experience where applicable. For many programmes, NBTE states that candidates with a minimum Lower Credit in ND require at least one year of relevant post-ND work experience, while candidates with a Pass may be considered with longer post-ND experience, subject to programme requirements. The latest announcement changes the admission-processing structure , but candidates should not assume that existing academic requirements have automatically been abolished. Part-Time ND Admissions Also Affected The NBTE circular reportedly contains another significant policy decision concerning part-time National Diploma admissions . With part-time ND admissions now being brought under JAMB, institutions are reportedly to limit part-time admissions to 50 per cent of their approved full-time admission quota . This is expected to give regulators greater control over the number of candidates admitted outside regular full-time programmes. Why This Could Be Important for NYSC Mobilisation One of the most important potential benefits of the new policy is the creation of a clearer admission trail from ND through HND. In March 2026, JAMB explained that it had difficulty assisting some HND graduates facing NYSC-related admission problems because JAMB did not originally admit them into their HND programmes and therefore did not possess the necessary HND admission data. A centralised HND admission system could help address this problem by ensuring that candidates' HND admission records are formally captured from the beginning. However, JAMB processing an HND admission does not automatically guarantee NYSC eligibility . NYSC mobilisation remains subject to applicable NYSC rules and a candidate's mode and history of study. What HND Applicants Should Do Now Prospective and current HND applicants should remain calm and continue with legitimate admission processes already announced by their institutions. Candidates are advised to: Keep their ND admission details and JAMB admission letter available. Ensure their personal information is consistent across JAMB and institutional records. Keep copies of ND results, O'Level results and industrial-training documents. Avoid agents claiming they can create or regularise HND admission outside official channels. Continue monitoring their polytechnic's official website. Watch for new announcements from JAMB, NBTE and the Federal Ministry of Education . Do not pay anyone for a supposed new "JAMB HND form" until such a process is officially announced. OGB Admission Hub Analysis This reform could become one of the most significant changes to polytechnic admissions in recent years. A central system could improve transparency, reduce undocumented admissions and give graduates a clearer digital record of their admission history. It could also help prevent candidates from spending years studying only to discover at graduation that their admission has complications. However, implementation will be crucial. Candidates need clear answers regarding how to register, fees, whether institutions will still conduct screening, how ongoing 2026/2027 applications will be transferred, and exactly how the new arrangement will interact with NYSC mobilisation . Until those guidelines are released, students should avoid speculation. OGB Admission Hub will continue monitoring this development and publish the official JAMB HND admission procedure immediately it is released. 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