JAMB Proposes N1.1 Billion In The 2025 Budget For Feeding Staff

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board JAMB’s chapter of the National Association of Non Academic Staff Union,NASU, and the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria ,ASCSN,have thrown their full weight behind the proposed increase in allocation for staff feeding in the 2025 budget by the board.

The two JAMB based labour unions, while clarifying the rationale behind the N1.1 billion proposed in the 2025 budget for the feeding scheme, countered recent misrepresentations about the figure.

They said the action of the board was meant to improve the level of productivity among staff just as they explained that the proposed increment in the 2025 budget was to expand the free lunch provision, previously exclusive to the headquarters, to over 2,300 staff across JAMB’s 44 offices nationwide.

Speaking during a health walk organized by JAMB to kickstart its 2025 activities in Abuja at the weekend, NASU JAMB Chapter Chairman, Andrew Onakpa, commended the Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, for prioritizing staff welfare.

“Efforts by the Registrar to address staff welfare are humane and should not be discouraged,” he said.

While saying improved feeding scheme will enhance the performance of staff, Onakpa said the union  pushed for the inclusion of other JAMB offices, adding that they were even part of the negotiations with the vendors, ensuring transparency in the process.

“We have over 2,300 staff in more than 44 offices nationwide. When you calculate the cost of feeding across all working days in a year, the figure is understandably significant. It’s not about mismanagement; it’s about improving welfare,” he said.

He expressed concern over the backlash from the National Assembly during JAMB’s recent budget defence, warning it could jeopardize these initiatives.

Onakpa described the Registrar as “a man of high calibre” and urged him to maintain his commitment to improving staff welfare despite criticism.