JAMB Spent Less Than N1 Million on Fumigation in 2024 — Registrar
The Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, has refuted claims that the board spent exorbitant amounts on fumigation, meals, and other expenditures in 2024. Speaking with journalists in Abuja on Tuesday, Oloyede clarified that total fumigation expenses across all states in 2024 amounted to less than N1 million.
He described reports of inflated spending as a misinterpretation of figures presented in the 2025 budget proposal submitted to the National Assembly’s Joint Committee on Finance.
“I want to state emphatically that I did not present any performance report for the 2024 budget before the National Assembly yesterday. The figures referenced were part of the 2025 budget proposal, not past expenditures,” he explained.
According to Oloyede, misunderstandings arose because the detailed breakdown of the 2025 proposal was not thoroughly reviewed during the presentation.
Addressing Training and Meals Spending
On reports alleging N6.5 billion spent on training in 2024, Oloyede clarified that the amount is a 2025 proposal covering several operational expenses, including examination monitoring, admission processes, e-facilities payments, and awards for higher education institutions.
“We have 10,500 examiners and invigilators conducting both the mock and main UTME. Some stay for up to 10 days, and their allowances are government-regulated. What offence have I committed in aggregating their legitimate claims?” he asked.
Regarding meal expenses, he justified the provision of lunch at JAMB headquarters for security and infrastructural reasons, explaining that restricting staff movement helps protect sensitive ICT systems.
“For 2025, we budgeted for meals for 2,300 staff over 22 working days each month. That adds up to more than N1 billion. This is not extravagant but necessary for operational efficiency,” he said.
UTME Fee and Budget for Staff
Oloyede dismissed calls for further reduction of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) fee, noting it was already reduced from N5,000 to N3,500, making it one of the lowest globally.
He also responded to criticisms about security and cleaning expenses, emphasizing that JAMB employs 580 security and cleaning staff nationwide.
“With the minimum wage increasing from N30,000 to N70,000, it is inevitable that budgetary allocations for salaries will rise. This is basic economics,” he stated.
Prof. Oloyede expressed hope that the National Assembly committee would provide an opportunity for a detailed clarification of the proposed figures. He assured the public of JAMB’s commitment to transparency and prudent financial management.
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, is meeting with the staff of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET) in Abuja in an effort to resolve the ongoing industrial strike action that has disrupted flight operations across the country.
The closed-door meeting seeks to address grievances raised by NiMET workers, including the non-implementation of the national minimum wage, exclusion of certain employees from past allowances, and the neglect of critical training programmes.
Present at the meeting were the Director General of NiMET, representatives from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the National Union of Transport Employees, and other key stakeholders.
Also in attendance are members of several unions, including the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees, the Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals, and the National Union of Air Transport Employees.
The strike, now in its second day, has significantly affected flight schedules at several airports, including the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja and the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, leaving passengers stranded.
In a statement, Air Peace cited safety concerns as the reason for its decision to suspend flights amid the disruption
In a bid to improve access to affordable housing across Nigeria, the Nigeria Government is set to introduce tax incentives aimed to reduce the burden on real estate developers and building material suppliers,
Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Mr. Taiwo Oyedele, made this known at a Building and Construction Industry Forum in Abuja.
Mr. Oyedele noted that the recently signed tax reform bills include provisions that would lower the cost of building materials and stimulate investment in the construction sector.
According to him,“It will reduce the tax burden—whether you’re buying, building, or selling real estate,”
“That’s the essence of these reforms: to make life better for everyone and to boost economic activities in the building and construction sector, and by extension, the entire economy.”
He emphasized that the government’s commitment to creating more accessible mortgage options for Nigerians across all income levels and called for greater collaboration among industry stakeholders to address persistent issues such as multiple taxation.
Also speaking at the forum, Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Mr. Ahmed Dangiwa—represented by Director of Public Building, Mr. Temitope Gbemi—highlighted the potential of the tax reforms to integrate the informal economy into the formal construction sector.
He encouraged builders and developers to incorporate capital gains into project planning for better cost documentation and tax planning.
Dr. Samson Opaluwa, Chairman of the Council of Registered Builders of Nigeria (CORBON), expressed optimism that the reforms would enhance revenue generation within the sector.
He underscored the need for inclusive discussions given the industry’s composition.
“This industry is largely driven by SMEs, which produce about 60 to 70 percent of the country’s housing stock,” he noted.
On his part, the Executive Director of the Housing Development Advocacy Network (HDAN), Mr. Festus Adebayo, stressed the need for the government to provide incentives to developers interested in social housing. He criticized the high costs, multiple charges, and bureaucratic hurdles that make affordable housing a distant reality.
The Federal Government has commenced a three-day Induction Programme for newly appointed Permanent Secretaries and the Accountant-General of the Federation.
The programme is designed to strengthen strategic leadership and policy execution at the topmost level of the federal bureaucracy.
Declaring the programme open, in Abuja, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, congratulated the appointees and described their roles as critical to effective governance and national development.
The Head of Service who noted that Permanent Secretaries serve as the engine room of government, responsible for driving policy implementation, institutional performance, and service-wide reform urged the inductees to uphold the highest standards of integrity, diligence, and teamwork,
She stressed that the success of the Renewed Hope Agenda and the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021–2025 (FCSSIP 25) depends significantly on their leadership.
“This final lap of FCSSIP 25 calls for urgency, accountability, and strategic focus. You must translate vision into measurable results,” she said.
In a welcome address, the Permanent Secretary, Career Management Office, Mrs. Fatima Mahmood, described the programme as a strategic investment in leadership capacity and institutional effectiveness.
The Sessions featured expert-led discussions, simulations, and strategic briefings facilitated by Engr. Suleiman Adamu, former Minister of Water Resources; Dr. Hadiza Bala Usman, Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination; Mrs. Beatrice Jedy-Agba, Solicitor-General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary Federal Minister of Justice; Alh. Yusuf Addy, retired Federal Director; Alhaji Bukar Goni Aji, former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation; Amb. Mustapha Lawal Suleiman, Mr. Adesola Olusade, and Dr. Ifeoma Anagbogu, all retired Permanent Secretaries.
Participants include Dr. Obi Emeka Vitalis, Mrs. Fatima Sugra Tabi’a Mahmood, Mr. Danjuma Mohammed Sanusi, Mr. Olusanya Olubunmi, Dr. Keshinro Maryam Ismaila, Dr. Akujobi Chinyere Ijeoma, Dr. Umobong Emanso Okop, Dr. Isokpunwu Christopher Osaruwanmwen, Mrs. Oyekunle N. Patience, Dr. Kalba U. Danjuma, Mr. Nadungu Gagare, Mr. Onwusoro I. Maduka, Dr. Usman Salihu Aminu, Mr. Ogbodo Chinasa Nnam, Mr. Ndiomu Ebiogeh Philip, Dr. Anuma N. Ogbonnaya, Mr. Adeladan Rafiu Olaninre, and Mr. Mukhtar Yawale Muhammed, as well as the Accountant-General of the Federation, Mr. Shamseldeen Babatunde Ogunjimi.
Head of Service
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