The National Assembly has decided to exclude the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board from the Federal Government’s 2025 budget grants due to concerns about its financial practices.
Lawmakers argued that JAMB’s revenue and spending do not justify further government funding.
This decision followed an interactive session on Monday with JAMB Registrar Ishaq Oloyede, chaired by Senator Sani Musa (APC, Niger East). During the session, Oloyede revealed that JAMB remitted ₦4 billion to the Consolidated Revenue Fund in 2024 but received ₦6 billion in government grants the same year.
Abiodun Faleke, Chairman of the House Committee on Finance, questioned the logic behind government funding for JAMB. “You remitted ₦4 billion and received ₦6 billion from the Federal Government. Why not keep the ₦4 billion and stop the government from funding JAMB?” Faleke asked.
Senator Adams Oshiomhole (APC, Edo) also criticized JAMB for excessive spending, highlighting ₦1.1 billion spent on meals and refreshments in 2024. “Are you being freely fed by the government? This money comes from poor students, many of whom are orphans,” he said.
Other questionable expenditures included ₦850 million for security, cleaning, and fumigation, ₦600 million for local travel, ₦6.5 billion for local training, and ₦1 billion allocated for a staff housing scheme. Oshiomhole called for a detailed breakdown of these expenses.
The Senate also expressed broader concerns about low remittances from Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) in 2024. Senator Sani Musa, Chairman of the Joint Finance Committee, said there is a significant gap between the revenue generated by MDAs and their remittances to the federation account.
“This discrepancy hampers the government’s ability to fund critical infrastructure and social services. It raises concerns about inefficiency, mismanagement, and possible revenue leakages,” Musa said.
