The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has set an ambitious revenue target of N23.8 billion as internally generated revenue (IGR) for the 2026 fiscal year, marking a N4 billion increase over its 2025 projection.
The target formed part of JAMB’s 2026 budget defence presented at the National Assembly on Wednesday before the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND, chaired by Muntari Dandutse.
Leading the presentation, a director in the Office of the Registrar, Dr Muftau Bello, disclosed that N6 billion of the projected revenue would be paid into the Federation Account as operating surplus.
According to him, the examination body is proposing a total budget size of N30.6 billion for 2026, out of which N23.8 billion is expected from internal sources, while N6 billion will be remitted to the Federal Government.
Bello stated: “A total budget profile of N30.6 billion is proposed for 2026. Out of this, N23.8 billion is projected as internally generated revenue, while N6 billion will be paid into the Federation Account as operating surplus.”
Reviewing JAMB’s performance in the 2025 fiscal year, the director informed the committee that the agency recorded N18.5 billion in IGR, with N4 billion remitted to the federal treasury.
On preparations for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), he revealed that 1,000 accredited examination centres have been established nationwide — an expansion from fewer than 800 centres in 2025.
The development, he said, was aimed at improving access, reducing overcrowding and enhancing the overall examination experience for candidates.
Impressed by the agency’s financial discipline and operational efficiency, members of the committee commended the leadership of Professor Oloyede, describing JAMB’s performance as commendable.
Senator Yohanna Amos urged the board to consider a further reduction in the N3,500 UTME registration fee, citing the prevailing economic hardship facing many Nigerian families.
Responding, Bello explained that the fee had already been significantly reduced under the current administration. “The examination fee used to be N5,000 before the present registrar reduced it to N3,500,” he said. Sun