The National Assembly has resolved to exclude the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) from the Federal Government’s 2025 budget grant, raising questions over its financial management practices.
During a presentation to the Senate and House of Representatives’ joint finance committee on Monday, JAMB Registrar Ishaq Oloyede revealed that the board remitted N4 billion to the Consolidated Revenue Fund in 2024 while receiving N6 billion from the federal government.
Lawmakers, including Senator Adams Oshiomhole and Abiodun Faleke, expressed discontent, questioning why a self-sustaining agency should depend on government grants. Faleke remarked, “You remitted N4 billion and received N6 billion. Why not retain the N4 billion and stop relying on government funding?”
The committee also criticized JAMB’s N1.1 billion expenditure on meals and refreshments, N850 million on cleaning and security, and N600 million on local travels. Senator Oshiomhole called the expenses excessive, stating, “This money comes from poor students, many of whom are orphans.”
Further scrutiny was directed at JAMB’s N6.5 billion allocation for local training and a N1 billion staff housing scheme, with lawmakers demanding a detailed breakdown of these expenditures.
The debate is part of broader concerns raised by the Senate over the low remittances from Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), which Senator Sani Musa described as a major hindrance to funding critical infrastructure projects and social services.
