Direct NYSC mobilisation issues to relevant authorities, JAMB tells poly students

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has advised polytechnic students to direct their concerns about NYSC mobilisation to the appropriate authorities rather than blaming the Board.

This follows complaints from some Higher National Diploma (HND) students about being excluded from the mandatory one-year scheme.

During a meeting with the National Association of Polytechnic Students (NAPS) in Bwari, Abuja, JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, clarified that JAMB does not handle HND admissions and, therefore, has no role in NYSC mobilisation for HND students.

Oloyede expressed surprise that JAMB is being blamed for the issue, attributing it to a misunderstanding of the Board’s role.

“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,” Oloyede said.

He explained that JAMB’s mandate is to conduct examinations for admission into universities, national diploma (ND), and Nigerian Certificate in Education (NCE) programs, not HND programmes.

“We admit students for ND programs. Once you graduate and seek HND admission, JAMB has no further role. HND admissions are conducted by individual institutions,” he added.

Prof. Oloyede also addressed concerns about part-time polytechnic programmes, criticising “Daily Part-Time” schemes designed to exploit students and highlighting issues with institutions exceeding their capacity limits as set by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE).

He advised NAPS to thoroughly investigate the issue to uncover the root causes and solutions.

He also urged students who have accused JAMB officials of extortion to provide evidence, stating that any staff found guilty will face legal consequences.

“About 99 percent of JAMB staff are honest, but any bad eggs will be identified and dealt with appropriately,” he stated.

The Registrar mentioned that JAMB is considering limiting physical interactions with candidates to prevent alleged extortion and exploitation.

NAPS leadership, led by National President Ridwan Opeyemi and Senate President Adeniki Temitope, pledged to engage the appropriate authorities to resolve the issue.