Adams Oshiomhole, the senator representing Edo North, has raised concerns regarding the expenditures of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) for the year 2024.
During the agency’s budget defense session for 2025 before the National Assembly Joint Committee on Finance, Oshiomhole questioned the JAMB Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, about the expenditure of N850 million naira on security, cleaning, and fumigation in the previous year.
He stated, "You expended N1.1 billion on meals and refreshments. Are you receiving free meals from the government? This indicates that you are utilizing funds generated from financially disadvantaged students, many of whom are orphans."
Additionally, he inquired, "You also allocated N850 million naira for security, cleaning, and fumigation in 2024. What specific items were fumigated? Are mosquitoes responsible for this expenditure?" Oshiomhole further criticized JAMB for an allocation of N600 million naira for local travel.
In response, Professor Oloyede indicated that JAMB remitted a N4 billion to the Consolidated Revenue Fund in 2024 while receiving a grant of N6 billion from the Federal Government.
This led the Chairman of the House Committee on Finance, Abiodun Faleke, to question the rationale for a revenue-generating and self-sustaining agency to depend on federal allocations: "You remitted N4 billion and received N6 billion from the Federal Government. Why not retain the N4 billion and eliminate the need for government funding for JAMB?"
The lawmakers suggested the potential removal of JAMB’s allocation in future budgets unless satisfactory justifications are presented for its ongoing dependence on government funding.