The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has advised the National Association of Polytechnic Students (NAPPS) to direct their concerns regarding the non-mobilisation of Higher National Diploma (HND) students for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to the relevant authorities.
Speaking at a meeting in Abuja on Friday, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, JAMB’s Registrar, clarified that JAMB is not involved in HND student admissions or their subsequent NYSC mobilisation.
Professor Oloyede expressed surprise at being targeted by NAPPS over this issue, attributing it to a misunderstanding of JAMB’s role.
He said, “You are wasting your time talking to someone who has no involvement in the matter. If something affects you, the first step is to identify the root cause so that you don’t apply the wrong solution to a problem that does not exist.”
He explained that JAMB’s responsibilities are confined to admissions for universities, National Diploma (ND), and Nigerian Certificate in Education (NCE) programs, not HND programs.
He further explained, “Once you graduate and seek HND admission, JAMB has no further role. HND admissions are conducted by individual institutions.” Oloyede also addressed criticisms of part-time polytechnic programs, which he criticised for exploiting students, and noted that over-admission issues often arise when institutions exceed their capacity limits set by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE).
On the issue of extortion allegations against JAMB officials, Oloyede confirmed that an anonymous petition had been received and a team was investigating.
He urged students with evidence of extortion to come forward, asserting, “About 99 percent of JAMB staff are honest, but any bad eggs will be identified and dealt with appropriately.”
The NAPPS leadership, represented by Comrade Ridwan Opeyemi and Adeniki Temitope, agreed to engage the relevant authorities to address their mobilisation concerns following Oloyede’s explanations.
