JAMB Says It Is Not Responsible for HND Graduates’ NYSC Non-Mobilisation, Oloyede Clarifies

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

The Registrar of JAMB, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, made the statement during a meeting with leaders of the National Association of Polytechnic Students, led by Comrade Eshofune Paul Oghayan.

According to a bulletin released by the Board on Monday and signed by its Public Communication Advisor, Fabian Benjamin, many HND graduates—particularly those who completed their National Diploma (ND) on a part-time or non-regular basis before pursuing full-time HND programmes—have faced barriers to NYSC mobilisation.

NYSC eligibility typically requires that the highest qualification be obtained through full-time study. Irregularities such as part-time ND classifications or unprocessed admissions can result in graduates being denied mobilisation or receiving exemption certificates instead. This has led some polytechnic alumni to wrongly attribute their challenges to JAMB.

Prof. Oloyede explained that JAMB’s mandate is limited to conducting examinations and admitting students into first-degree, National Diploma, 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 to direct their grievances to the relevant institutions.

He noted that once candidates graduate from ND programmes and seek HND admission, the responsibility lies entirely with the polytechnic or institution offering the HND programme, not JAMB.

The Registrar also highlighted the role of the Board’s Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS), which automates admissions, restores institutional autonomy, prevents multiple admissions, and ensures transparency. He warned that any admission conducted outside CAPS is null and void.

Prof. Oloyede criticized cases where institutions bypass CAPS, admitting more ND candidates than permitted by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), creating discrepancies between ND and HND graduates, especially when the HND is pursued at a different institution.

He also cautioned against “Daily Part-Time” HND programmes, which he described as exploitative, noting that NYSC often rejects graduates of such unconventional programmes. “Some polytechnics have conducted illegal admissions, with one institution reportedly having over 42,000 irregular cases,” he said.

He concluded: “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.”