The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has clarified that it does not handle admissions into Higher National Diploma programmes and therefore cannot be held responsible for cases where some graduates are unable to participate in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme.
The clarification was made by the Registrar of JAMB, Is-haq Oloyede, during a meeting with the leadership of the National Association of Polytechnic Students (NAPS), led by Eshofune Paul Oghayan.
This was contained in a bulletin issued by the board on Monday and signed by its Public Communication Advisor, Fabian Benjamin.
In recent years, many Higher National Diploma (HND) graduates—especially those who obtained their National Diploma (ND) through part-time or non-regular programmes before proceeding to full-time HND studies—have faced difficulties being mobilised for the NYSC scheme. NYSC mobilisation rules generally require that candidates complete their highest qualification through full-time study.
Irregularities in admission records, including part-time ND classifications or unprocessed admissions, have led to some graduates being denied mobilisation or issued exemption certificates instead of participating in the one-year national service.
These challenges have generated frustration among affected polytechnic graduates, with some blaming JAMB for alleged data or processing issues. However, Prof. Oloyede explained that the board’s responsibilities are limited to conducting examinations and managing admissions into first-degree, National Diploma, and Nigerian Certificate in Education (NCE) programmes.
According to him, HND admissions are handled directly by the polytechnics themselves.
“The Board is not responsible for admitting HND students into polytechnics and, therefore, has no data to facilitate their entry into the NYSC scheme,” Oloyede stated.
He advised students to direct their complaints to the appropriate authorities, explaining that once candidates complete their ND programmes and proceed to HND studies, the admission process becomes the responsibility of the institutions involved.
The JAMB registrar also highlighted the role of the board’s automated Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS), which is used to manage admissions into tertiary institutions.
According to him, CAPS improves transparency in the admission process by restoring institutional autonomy, expanding opportunities for candidates, preventing multiple admissions, and ensuring proper documentation of student records.
He emphasised that any admission conducted outside the CAPS platform is considered invalid.
“CAPS automates the admissions process into tertiary institutions, addresses challenges associated with the manual approach, and empowers candidates with information on available institutions and programmes,” Oloyede said.
He further noted that some institutions bypass CAPS and admit more ND candidates than the quota approved by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE). Such practices, he said, create inconsistencies between ND graduates and their HND admission records, particularly when the HND programme is undertaken at a different institution.
Oloyede also criticised some “Daily Part-Time” HND programmes, describing them as exploitative. According to him, graduates from such unconventional programmes are often rejected by NYSC, making them ineligible for mobilisation.
He revealed that some polytechnics have conducted large numbers of illegal admissions, noting that one institution reportedly recorded more than 42,000 irregular cases.
“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.
