The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has clarified that it is not responsible for Higher National Diploma admissions or the non-mobilisation of some graduates for the National Youth Service Corps.
The Registrar of JAMB, Is-haq Oloyede, made this known while meeting with the leadership of the National Association of Polytechnic Students led by Comrade Eshofune Paul Oghayan.
The clarification was contained in a bulletin released by the Board on Monday and signed by its Public Communication Advisor, Fabian Benjamin.
Many Higher National Diploma graduates—particularly those who completed their National Diploma through part-time or non-regular programmes before pursuing full-time HND programmes have faced challenges with NYSC mobilisation.
NYSC eligibility generally requires full-time study for the highest qualification, and irregularities in admission processes such as part-time ND classifications or unprocessed admissions often lead to graduates being denied mobilisation or issued exemption certificates instead of participating in the service year.
The development has triggered frustration among affected polytechnic graduates, some of whom have blamed JAMB for alleged data or admission processing issues.
However, Oloyede told the students that the Board’s mandate is limited to conducting entrance examinations and processing admissions into first-degree, National Diploma, and Nigerian Certificate in Education programmes, stressing that it does not handle HND admissions.
“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 the students to channel their grievances to the appropriate authorities, explaining that once candidates complete their ND programmes and seek admission into HND programmes, the responsibility rests with the institutions offering the programmes, not JAMB.
Oloyede also highlighted the role of the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS) in regulating admissions into tertiary institutions.
According to him, CAPS streamlines the admission process, restores institutional autonomy, prevents multiple admissions, and promotes transparency in the system.
He warned that any admission conducted outside CAPS is null and void.
“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.
The Registrar further alleged that some institutions bypass CAPS by admitting more National Diploma candidates than approved by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE).
He noted that such practices often create discrepancies between ND graduates and their HND records, particularly when graduates proceed to HND programmes in different institutions.
Oloyede also criticised some “Daily Part-Time” HND programmes, describing them as exploitative and noting that the NYSC often rejects graduates of such unconventional programmes, making it difficult for them to be mobilised.
“Some polytechnics have conducted illegal admissions, with one institution reportedly having over 42,000 irregular cases,” he said.
“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.
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