The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has released N397,030,900 as transport allowances to 1,909 officials participating in the conduct of the 2025 Mock Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) scheduled to take place nationwide on April 10, 2025.
This was disclosed by JAMB’s Director of Finance, Mufutau Bello, during a strategic meeting held in Abuja to review the Board’s preparedness for both the mock exam and the main UTME.
Bello highlighted the scale and significance of the mock exam, noting the financial commitment and the limited scope of the initial disbursement.
“Much is at stake, including the dignity of our processes, the tertiary education system, and substantial financial resources—over N397,030,900 has been paid as transport allowances to the 1,909 officials travelling for the mock exercise scheduled for the 10th of April, 2025.
“This amount represents only the initial phase, accounting for one-third of the total number of officials involved,” Bello stated.
Bello described the mock exam as a foundational step in JAMB’s responsibilities, stressing its importance to the nation’s education system.
“The Mock exercise is the first phase of our core mandate, and we must, as always, distinguish ourselves. The nation relies on the success of this exercise; any shortcomings could tarnish the integrity of our education system,” he said.
Warning on exam equipment
Meanwhile, JAMB Registrar, Professor Is-haq Oloyede, during a virtual training and final briefing for Technical Officers held on April 3, warned Technical Officers handling the Board’s examination systems to protect the government-owned facilities, warning that any damage or loss would be taken seriously.
“We don’t take infractions on the facility lightly. It cost the Board about five million naira to procure just one of these facilities and since they are government’s property, you will be asked to account for any loss of the systems,” he said.
He stressed that the officers must take full responsibility for the care and security of the infrastructure under their supervision.
The Registrar also charged the officers to steer clear of unethical practices such as bribery and collusion that could compromise the UTME process.
“Disassociate yourself from people who are not your associates. Please, don’t take bribes. We have paid within allowable limit what government’s regulations say we should pay,” he said.
He added that all allowances due to officers have been paid in line with federal guidelines, making any form of misconduct unjustifiable.
