The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has rejected claims that it bears responsibility for the failure of some Higher National Diploma (HND) graduates to secure mobilisation for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). Is-haq Oloyede, the registrar of the examination body, insisted that the board did not create the problems facing these graduates. He attributed the challenges to illegal admissions conducted by some institutions outside the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS).
Oloyede addressed the issue during a recent interaction with stakeholders in the education sector. He stated clearly that JAMB lacked the authority to mobilise graduates for the NYSC scheme. “JAMB is not responsible for the NYSC mobilisation of HND graduates,” he said. He explained that the board’s mandate covered admission processing rather than post-graduation mobilisation activities.
The registrar emphasised that the NYSC mobilisation process fell under the jurisdiction of the National Youth Service Corps itself and the institutions that produced the graduates. He noted that JAMB had consistently maintained its position on proper admission procedures through the CAPS platform.
Oloyede directed criticism toward higher education institutions that admitted students without following established protocols. He accused some polytechnics and colleges of engaging in illegal admissions that bypassed the CAPS system entirely. “The problem lies with institutions that admit students illegally outside the Central Admissions Processing System,” he stated.
He further explained that such admissions created records that the NYSC could not verify during mobilisation exercises. Consequently, graduates from these illegal admission streams faced rejection when they attempted to register for national service. The registrar maintained that JAMB had warned institutions repeatedly against this practice.
The registrar urged all tertiary institutions to comply strictly with admission guidelines established by the federal government. He reminded them that the CAPS system served as the sole legitimate channel for processing admissions into Nigerian universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education. “Institutions must adhere to the proper admission process through CAPS to ensure their graduates are eligible for NYSC mobilisation,” he added.
Oloyede also called on regulatory bodies to strengthen oversight of admission practices across the sector. He suggested that stricter enforcement of existing regulations would prevent the recurrence of mobilisation problems for future graduates.
