The National Assembly has threatened to exclude the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) from the 2025 budget over its failure to remit N4 billion to the federation account, despite receiving N6 billion from the federal government in 2024.
Lawmakers argued that JAMB should be self-sufficient and not rely on government grants.
The warning came during an interactive session led by Senator Sani Musa, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, where JAMB’s Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, defended the agency’s 2025 budget proposal. The session, which included other ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs), scrutinized revenue projections and remittances for the upcoming fiscal year.
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While presenting JAMB’s 2024 budget performance, Oloyede revealed that the board remitted N4 billion to the consolidated revenue fund but received a N6 billion grant from the federal government. This disclosure sparked criticism from lawmakers.
“You remitted N4 billion and got N6 billion from the federal government. Why not keep the N4 billion and let the government stop funding JAMB?” queried Abiodun Faleke, Chairman of the House Committee on Finance.
Senator Adams Oshiomhole also criticized JAMB’s expenditure, questioning the justification for spending N1.1 billion on meals and refreshments, N850 million on security and fumigation, N600 million on local travels, and N6.5 billion on local training. “You are spending money collected from poor students, many of whom are orphans,” Oshiomhole remarked.
The lawmakers also raised broader concerns about low remittances by MDAs. Senator Musa expressed worry over the disparity between substantial revenues generated by MDAs and their minimal contributions to the federation account.
“This trend undermines the government’s ability to fund critical infrastructure and social services. It raises questions about inefficiency, mismanagement, and possible revenue leakages,” Musa stated.
He emphasized the committee’s commitment to ensuring transparency, accountability, and efficiency in the financial operations of MDAs. Musa urged stakeholders to provide accurate and open data to help build a stronger fiscal framework for Nigeria.
“We must approach this task with a shared commitment to accountability and recommend actionable solutions to reverse these troubling patterns,” Musa added.
The session also included representatives from the Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Road Safety Commission, Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Communications Commission, and Fiscal Responsibility Commission.
