By Emmanuel Babafemi
July 31, 2026
Prof. Ishaq Oloyede on Friday formally handed over the leadership of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, to his successor, Prof. Segun Aina, bringing to an end a 10-year tenure widely regarded as one of the most consequential in the history of Nigeria’s tertiary admissions agency.
The handover ceremony, held at the board’s headquarters and streamed live on JAMB’s official social media platforms, marked the official commencement of Aina’s tenure as registrar following his appointment by President Bola Tinubu.
The transition came as Oloyede completed his statutory tenure on July 31, 2026.
Oloyede leaves office after overseeing a far reaching overhaul of JAMB’s operations since assuming office in August 2016.
During his administration, the examination body introduced sweeping technological reforms aimed at restoring credibility to the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME, tightening examination security, improving transparency in admissions, and increasing internally generated revenue remittances to the Federal Government.
His tenure witnessed the deployment of biometric verification, Computer Based Test enhancements, the Central Admissions Processing System, CAPS, the Integrated Brochure and Syllabus System, IBASS, and other digital innovations that significantly reduced examination malpractice, multiple admissions, identity fraud and other irregularities that had plagued the system for years.
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Under Oloyede, JAMB also became one of Nigeria’s most financially transparent agencies, remitting tens of billions of naira into the Federal Government’s treasury while simultaneously expanding access to tertiary admissions and strengthening collaboration with universities, polytechnics, colleges of education and regulatory agencies.
The outgoing registrar also led the board through one of its most challenging periods in 2025 when technical disruptions affected portions of the UTME.
Oloyede publicly accepted responsibility for the incident, apologised to candidates and parents, and ordered a fresh examination for affected candidates, a move that drew widespread attention for its openness and accountability.
His successor, Prof. Segun Aina, assumes office with a strong background in computer engineering, digital infrastructure and examination technology.
President Tinubu, while announcing his appointment, expressed confidence that Aina would consolidate on the reforms initiated under Oloyede and further strengthen the integrity and efficiency of Nigeria’s tertiary admissions process.
According to the Presidency, Aina is a Professor of Computer Engineering at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile, Ife.
He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Systems Engineering from the University of Kent, a Master’s degree in Internet Computing and Network Security, and a PhD in Digital Signal Processing from Loughborough University, United Kingdom.
He also completed the Senior Management Programme at Lagos Business School.
The Presidency further noted that Aina has spent more than 15 years advising federal and state governments on digital transformation, institutional reforms and systems design.
He has also worked with examination bodies, including the National Examinations Council, NECO, and the National Business and Technical Examinations Board, NABTEB, on ICT systems and examination integrity.
His appointment makes him the youngest registrar in JAMB’s history, a development many stakeholders believe signals the board’s intention to deepen digital innovation and modernise its examination ecosystem.
The leadership transition closes a significant chapter in JAMB’s history and opens another, with expectations that the new registrar will build on the institutional reforms, technological advancements and transparency measures that defined Oloyede’s decade in office.
