The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has remitted over N50 billion in operating surplus to the Federal Government in the last decade. This was disclosed by the board's Public Communication Adviser, Dr Fabian Benjamin, during a dialogue organised by the Education Writers' Association of Nigeria via Zoom.
The dialogue, themed '2026 Admission Policy Review and JAMB Scorecard: A Conversation with the Registrar,' examined key issues surrounding admissions and tertiary education in Nigeria. Dr Benjamin explained that the remittances were made in compliance with the law requiring government agencies to remit a percentage of their operating surplus. He clarified that this was not evidence that JAMB was established to generate revenue.
According to Dr Benjamin, the board has been able to generate savings through technological innovations and cost-cutting measures introduced under the Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede. This includes the replacement of Very Small Aperture Terminal technology with telecommunication-based connectivity using SIM cards. The transition reduced the cost of connectivity for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination from about N1.2 billion to less than N100 million.
Dr Benjamin also noted that the board has introduced innovations such as mock examinations, computer-based testing, and biometric verification to reduce impersonation and other forms of examination malpractice. He hinted that the current Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination registration fee of N3,500 may not be sustainable given prevailing economic realities.
The spokesman explained that the registration fee is shared with accredited Computer-Based Test centres, most of which are privately owned. He stated that many operators had complained that the amount paid to them was no longer sufficient due to rising operational costs. Dr Benjamin stressed that any future review of the examination fee would be based on prevailing economic conditions rather than a deliberate attempt to increase revenue.
The JAMB Public Communication Adviser maintained that the board currently charges one of the lowest examination fees globally. He pointed out that the registration fee of N3,500 is not out of place, considering the costs of running the examination. Dr Benjamin's statement comes as Prof. Oloyede's tenure ends on July 31, 2026, with Prof. Segun Aina to officially resume office on August 1, 2026.
The JAMB is not a revenue-generating agency, but rather a regulatory body.
We are doing our part by remitting what we can to the Federal Government to support the nation's development.
The recent dialogue has sparked conversations about the need for a review of the JAMB registration fee. While some have argued that the current fee is reasonable, others have suggested that it should be increased or made more flexible to accommodate the economic realities of the country.