JAMB targets N23.8bn IGR in 2026, plans N6bn remittance as operating surplus

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) says it is targeting N23.8 billion in internally generated revenue (IGR) for the 2026 fiscal year.

Speaking on Wednesday when he presented the board’s 2026 budget proposal before the senate committee on tertiary institutions and TETFund, Muftau Bello, a director in the office of the JAMB registrar, said the examination body will remit N6 billion from the projected IGR into the federation account as an operating surplus for the year.

Bello represented Ishaq Oloyede, the JAMB registrar, at the budget defence session.

“A total of N30.6 billion budget profile is proposed by JAMB in 2026, out of which N23.8 billion is to be generated internally and N6 billion to be remitted into the federation account as operating surplus for the year,” he said.

Bello told the committee that JAMB generated N18.5 billion as IGR in 2025 and remitted N4 billion to the federation account.

On preparations for the 2026 unified tertiary matriculation examination (UTME), Bello said the board has created 1,000 examination centres.

He said the figure exceeds the fewer than 800 centres used in 2025.

Muntari Dandutse, chairman of the committee and senator representing Katsina south, commended JAMB’s performance under Oloyede’s leadership.

However, Amos Yohanna, Adamawa north senator, urged the board to reduce the current N3,500 examination fee.

Responding, Bello said the fee was previously N5,000 before it was reduced to N3,500 by the current registrar.