The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has justified its proposed 2025 budget, which allocates N1.1 billion for feeding its 2,300 staff members throughout the year.
This significant provision has raised eyebrows, prompting JAMB to defend its decision. The lawmakers questioned why a self-funding agency like JAMB was still receiving government funding.
Abiodun Faleke, the Chairman of the House Committee on Finance, raised concerns, asking, “You remitted N4billion and got N6billion from the Federal Government. Why not keep the N4billion and we stop the government from funding JAMB?”
Senator Adams Oshiomhole also criticised the agency’s expenditure, questioning, “You spent N1.1billion on meals and refreshments.
“Are you being freely fed by the government? What this means is that you are spending the money you generate from poor students; many of them orphans.”
Oshiomhole further queried JAMB’s N850million spending on security, cleaning, and fumigation, asking, “What did you fumigate? Is it mosquitoes that took all this money?”
In a press statement issued on Tuesday, the examination body’s National Spokesman, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, explained that the meal provision is a recognition of the sensitive responsibilities of its staff and aims to minimise their exposure to the public during working hours.
He said the initiative was initially implemented at the headquarters, with plans to extend it to all offices nationwide.
According to him, the proposed N1.1 billion for meals is based on a daily cost of N2,200 per staff member, including 13.5% taxes, which is an increase from the previous N1,200 due to rising food prices.
The statement reads: “Among the items included in the 2025 budget proposal is the provision of one meal per day for the 2,300 staff members (cleaners/security inclusive) of the Board nationwide, covering all working days throughout the year. Over the past two years, the cost of providing this meal for headquarters staff (on the 2 offices in the Board) was N1,200 per day, per staff.
“However, due to rising food prices, vendors have requested an increase to N2,200 (including 13.5% taxes). Based on this new price, the total cost of providing meals for 2,300 staff members throughout the working days in 2025 is projected to be N1.27 billion. Nevertheless, JAMB has budgeted N1.1 billion for this purpose.
“The initiative to provide meals is a recognition of the sensitive responsibilities of JAMB staff.
According to the Board, the provision of meals extends beyond staff welfare. “This measure also minimizes the risk of damage to our ICT infrastructure, which could occur if staff were to eat in offices,” JAMB said, adding that the initiative was expanded to outstation employees following consistent requests.
“It helps to minimize staffs exposure to the public during working hours and avoid the danger that eating in the offices posed to ICT infrastructure, the management sought and obtained approval to start providing lunch at the Headquarters, with plans to extend this initiative to all the offices nationwide, in response to consistent requests from outstation employees; we plan to commence the initiative to all the 2,300 workers of the Board.
“Another significant provision in the budget proposal is the N850 million earmarked for the emolument of outsourced cleaners, security personnel, cleaning materials, fumigation services and tax. In compliance with government policy on outsourcing, JAMB has engaged firms and agencies that provide 386 security personnel and 194 cleaners across its over forty offices and PTC centers nationwide.
“The N850 million proposed in the budget proposal covers running and operational costs, with only N2 million specifically earmarked for fumigation services for the year. (It was less than N1 million in 2024).
“This budget reflects the recent salary review mandated by the government, and it is misleading to suggest that a meaningful portion of the budget is solely dedicated to fumigation when the least paid of the security men earns the minimum pay of N30, 000.00which is now projected to be N70, 000.00 while cleaners pay would be at least doubled.
“This clarification is vital to prevent misinformation in the public space, as the submitted provisions represent a budget proposal rather than expenditures already incurred by the Board in 2024.
“All capital, overhead, and operational costs of the Board are met from the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the Board. While the government covers the salaries of only pensionable JAMB staff.”
The examination body also offered clarification on the “N6.4 billion proposed for ‘Local Travel and Transport (Training)’ for the over 10,500 staff and other officials to be assigned to conduct the 2025 UTME- mock examination and other engagements”.
“The template provided for Government Owned Enterprises (GOEs) mandates that all expenditures peculiar to JAMB be categorized under this heading. The Board is not allowed to create any other heading.
“As a Government Owned Enterprise, JAMB is compelled to comply with the Budget Information Management Monitoring System (BIMMS) for GOEs and that explains why the amount was lumped under the heading but with asterisk and details provided on the succeeding page of the submission which the Board was disallowed to explain.
“JAMB remains committed to managing its resources prudently, aligning with the requirements and expectations of the nation’s leadership,” it said.
