2025 Budget Blow: NASS Moves to Cut JAMB Off FG Grant, Slams Excessive Spending

Citing issues with the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Body’s (JAMB) financial management, the Senate and House of Representatives have decided to exclude the body from the Federal Government’s 2025 budget grant.

Oloyede disclosed that in 2024, JAMB received N6 billion from the Federal Government, despite sending N4 billion to the Consolidated Revenue Fund. Members of the committee, including Senator Adams Oshiomhole (APC, Edo) and Abiodun Faleke, were moved by this to wonder why government subsidies should be used to support a self-sustaining organization.

“The federal government gave you N6 billion, and you gave them N4 billion. Why not prevent the government from financing JAMB and keep the N4 billion? Faleke, the chairman of the House Finance Committee, was asked.

The N1.1 billion that JAMB spent on meals and refreshments in 2024 drew criticism from Senator Oshiomhole.

“Is the government providing you with free food? Poor students, many of whom are orphans, provide this funding,” he stated.

He also questioned the rationale behind the N850 million spent on cleaning, fumigation, and security, as well as the N600 million spent on local travel.

The N1 billion set aside for a staff housing program and the N6.5 billion allotted for local training came under closer examination. Oshiomhole demanded that these expenses be broken down.

The Senate, meanwhile, voiced its displeasure with the low 2024 MDA remittances, citing a substantial discrepancy between revenue and amounts sent to the federation account.

During an interactive session on MDA revenue forecasts for 2025, Senator Sani Musa, the chairman of the Senate and House of Representatives Joint Finance Committee, revealed this.

Musa emphasized how deeply the Senate is concerned about the disparity between these agencies’ regularly low remittances to the federation account and the enormous income they have accrued.

He emphasized that this disparity raises concerns about inefficiency, poor management, and possible revenue leaks while impeding the government’s capacity to finance social programs and important infrastructure projects.