"The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has announced that JAMB will now handle HND admissions in polytechnics and other affected institutions from the current session. The new arrangement also covers specified allied institutions, colleges of nursing sciences and health technology institutions, with detailed HND admission guidelines still being developed."
🎓 JAMB to Take Over HND Admissions in Polytechnics, Allied Institutions — NBTE
Published: September 13, 2026 | Source: CampusAI News
📌 Overview
The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has announced that the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) will now handle the processing of Higher National Diploma (HND) admissions in polytechnics and other affected institutions.
The directive is contained in an NBTE circular dated September 9, 2026, and applies from the current admission session.
The new arrangement extends JAMB's centralised admission role beyond National Diploma (ND) admissions to include HND admissions.
It also covers specified allied institutions, colleges of nursing sciences and health technology institutions under the arrangement.
🆕 What Has Changed?
Under the new directive, HND admissions that were previously processed directly by individual institutions will now be handled through JAMB's centralised admission system.
This means prospective HND students will no longer be dealing solely with individual polytechnics for the admission process once the new system is fully implemented.
NBTE is expected to work with JAMB to establish the procedures and guidelines required to process HND admissions through the Board's digital platform.
🏫 Institutions Affected
The directive covers HND admissions in:
- Polytechnics
- Allied institutions
- Colleges of Nursing Sciences
- Health Technology institutions
The exact implementation process for each category will depend on the guidelines being developed under the new arrangement.
🎯 Why Is JAMB Taking Over HND Admissions?
According to the NBTE directive, the centralised system is intended to address irregularities and compromised admission practices.
Another major concern is the problem faced by some HND graduates when seeking NYSC mobilisation.
Because HND admissions were previously handled by individual institutions, JAMB did not necessarily have admission records for those students.
The new arrangement is intended to create a more centralised admission record and reduce situations where graduates later experience problems with their admission status or NYSC mobilisation.
📋 NBTE to Develop HND Admission Guidelines
NBTE will develop HND Admission Guidelines to guide the new process and support JAMB's implementation on its digital platform.
The guidelines are expected to address important areas of HND admission, including:
- Admission requirements
- Eligibility for HND programmes
- The required waiting period after obtaining an ND
- Conditions for progressing from ND to HND
- Exemptions applicable to certain health-related ND programmes
- Other procedures required for the centralised HND admission process
The detailed implementation guidelines are still being developed.
⚠️ What HND Applicants Should Know Now
The announcement does not mean that every detail of the new JAMB HND admission process is already available.
NBTE is still expected to finalise the guidelines that will determine how applicants will apply, how institutions will process admissions and how the HND admission system will operate on JAMB's digital platform.
The Federal Ministry of Education is also expected to provide further details on the implementation.
Therefore, prospective HND applicants should avoid relying on unofficial claims about new application procedures, payments or deadlines until the official implementation details are released.
🔄 How HND Admission Worked Previously
Before this new arrangement, HND admission was generally handled directly by individual polytechnics and similar institutions.
JAMB had previously stated that its admission mandate covered programmes such as ND, while HND admissions were handled by the institutions themselves.
In a March 2026 bulletin, JAMB explained that it did not previously admit HND students and therefore did not have the admission data needed to facilitate some NYSC-related processes.
The September 2026 directive represents a significant change to that arrangement.
📊 Old vs New HND Admission Arrangement
| Area | Previous Arrangement | New Arrangement |
|---|---|---|
| HND admission processing | Individual institutions | JAMB |
| Centralised admission platform | Not used for HND admission | JAMB digital platform |
| JAMB's HND admission role | No direct admission role | Will process HND admissions |
| Admission records | Mainly maintained by institutions | Centralised through JAMB |
| NYSC-related admission record concerns | Could arise | Intended to reduce such problems |
🚨 Is This the Same as the Previous JAMB Admission Policy?
No.
The development currently being announced is specifically about HND admissions.
JAMB has long handled admissions into ND programmes in polytechnics and other institutions within its mandate.
The new September 2026 directive extends JAMB's centralised admission role to HND programmes, which were previously processed directly by institutions.
This distinction is important because headlines about JAMB and polytechnic admissions have circulated before, but this particular announcement concerns the takeover of HND admissions.
📝 What Should Prospective HND Applicants Do?
For now, prospective HND applicants should:
- Continue to monitor their institution's official announcements.
- Watch for the release of the new NBTE HND Admission Guidelines.
- Monitor JAMB's official channels for instructions on the new HND admission process.
- Avoid paying unofficial agents who claim they can process a new JAMB HND admission before the official system is announced.
- Confirm application procedures and fees directly from official sources.
Applicants should wait for the official implementation instructions before assuming that existing institutional HND application procedures have completely changed.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Will JAMB now conduct HND admissions?
Yes. Under the new NBTE directive, JAMB will take over the processing of HND admissions in polytechnics and other institutions covered by the arrangement from the current admission session.
Does this affect all polytechnics?
The directive applies to HND admissions in polytechnics, along with the other categories of institutions specified by NBTE.
What happens to HND applications already submitted to institutions?
The detailed guidelines for handling existing applications and the transition to the new system are still being developed. Applicants should follow official instructions from their institutions, NBTE and JAMB.
Will HND applicants apply through JAMB?
The new arrangement places HND admission processing under JAMB, with NBTE expected to develop guidelines for implementation on JAMB's digital platform. Applicants should wait for the official application procedure before taking action.
Why is JAMB taking over HND admissions?
The move is intended to reduce illegal and compromised admissions and improve the availability of admission records, including records needed to address NYSC mobilisation issues after graduation.
Has JAMB released the complete HND admission procedure?
Not yet. The detailed HND Admission Guidelines are still being developed, and further implementation details are expected from the relevant authorities.
📌 Important Note
This announcement is not simply another repetition of the existing JAMB/ND admission arrangement.
The significant new development is that the centralised JAMB admission role is now being extended to HND admissions.
However, applicants should not assume that the complete process is already operational until JAMB and NBTE publish the detailed implementation guidelines.
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> 📌 Editor's Note: NBTE's September 9, 2026 directive represents a new development in HND admissions, extending JAMB's centralised admission role to HND programmes. However, the detailed implementation guidelines are still being developed. Prospective HND applicants should rely on official NBTE and JAMB announcements for the next steps.