ABUJA – The Senate has expressed concern over the rising revenue of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), cautioning that escalating exam fees could place undue strain on students from low-income families.
The warning came during a budget defence session chaired by Senator Muntari Mohammed, where JAMB’s Director of the Registrar’s Office, Mufutau Bello, presented the agency’s financial performance.
Bello revealed that the board generated ₦18.8 billion in Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) in 2025, narrowly missing its ₦19.8 billion target, and projects ₦23.8 billion for 2026 to sustain operations and improve service delivery.
Lawmakers, however, expressed reservations over the steady rise in income, noting that most of it comes from exam registration fees paid by students, many of whom come from financially disadvantaged backgrounds.
The committee stressed that financial sustainability must not come at the expense of access to education.
Senators urged JAMB to balance revenue generation with social responsibility, recommending measures to ease the financial burden on candidates and their families.
The committee also questioned a sharp rise in personnel costs in the proposed 2026 budget, demanding justification tied to measurable improvements in efficiency and service delivery.
While acknowledging JAMB’s operational success, the lawmakers emphasised that institutional growth must be accompanied by accountability, fairness, and transparency.
The Senate reaffirmed its commitment to oversight of agencies whose policies directly affect millions of Nigerians aspiring to higher education.
