Professor Is-haq Oloyede, Friday morning, handed over to Professor Segun Aina as the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).

The transition followed the expiration of Oloyede’s two-term tenure on July 31, 2026, after a decade marked by major institutional reforms, technological advancement, increased transparency and stronger accountability in the conduct of examinations and admissions. Blueprint reports

Blueprint.ng reports that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu appointed Professor Segun Aina as JAMB Registrar, succeeding the outgone Registrar, Professor Is-haq Oloyede, whose two-term tenure ended on July 31, 2026.

Profile of the New Registrar

Appointed on May 21, 2026, by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Professor Aina was 39 years old at appointment, making him JAMB’s youngest-ever registrar.

A Professor of Computer Engineering at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Prof Aina holds degrees including a PhD in Digital Signal Processing from Loughborough University, UK.

He was a consultant on ICT systems and examination integrity for the National Examinations Council (NECO), the National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB) and other state ministries.

Oloyede speaks

Addressing journalists, JAMB staff and other stakeholders before his handover at the Board headquarters on Friday morning, Prof Oloyede said he had no doubt that the new Registrar will deliver on his mandate.

Reflecting on his years in office, the outgoing Registrar said he was leaving with gratitude to God and appreciation to the staff, government officials, stakeholders and partners who supported the Board throughout his administration.

Oloyede noted that his return to academic life would allow him to reflect and reconnect with his long-standing commitment to education.

He said the achievements recorded during his tenure were not personal accomplishments but the outcome of collective effort, stressing that the progress made by JAMB was built on teamwork, institutional support and the dedication of its workforce.

He said JAMB also reduced the cost of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination application by 30 per cent and provided additional support for candidates with special needs.

On institutional discipline, Oloyede said the Board maintained a firm stance against misconduct while ensuring that staff welfare remained a priority.

He expressed appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the confidence reposed in him, as well as the Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, the Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Said Ahmad, and other government officials.

He said: “When I took over the mandate of leadership at JAMB, I outlined five cardinal points that my Administration would be anchored on in “Let’s Do It Together: The Biggest Room in the World”. These cardinal points are welfare, discipline, technology, transparency and networking. In these five, though perfection belongs to the Almighty Allah, I can confidently say we tried our best.

“Given that no business or organisation can become greater than the thinking minds and consciousness of those who operate it, we took staff welfare with seriousness. Not only were deserving staff promoted as and when due, they were also provided with the tools to work and to a large extent, a conducive environment.

“This is reflected in the rehabilitation of existing structures and the construction of new ones across the country. Then, we committed over N8 billion to strengthening employees’ retirement savings and their overall financial stability, provided ‘retirement handshakes’ of between #3 million and #10 million to retiring staff and introduced an extra annual salary bonus called “13th month salary” to boost staff’s morale.

“Besides, we introduced examination duty incentives of 10%, which we recently increased to 20%, and provided free daily meals. And for headquarters staff, we supplemented their salary with free transport for staff stationed at critical operational hubs. We also intervened in the medical treatment of staff, with a single staff member getting a sum of #12 million for his treatment at the National Hospital.

“We rewarded exceptional staff with cash and awards while we named a JAMB Zonal Office and a complex of PTC/PRCs after a staff member, demonstrating that hard work and resilience would not go unacknowledged.

“Even if some of the interventions drew legislative scrutiny, we stood by our decision because without dedicated and motivated staff, we won’t achieve the JAMB that Nigeria deserves. Beyond the staff, we also extended welfare to the students, reducing the cost of UTME application by 30% and sponsoring the special needs candidates and their guides to the exam venues in addition to refund of application fee, feeding and accommodating them.

“We also extended hands of fellowship to the institutions by dispensing, through NATAPM Award, about #750 million annually, to different tertiary institutions in the country.

“It is said that the first law in heaven is discipline and indiscipline is the mother of all evils. Though we promote and enhance staff welfare, we did not condone indiscipline. In this regard, we did not shy away from maintaining strict discipline and more than 10 staff have faced prosecution over allegations of misconduct.

“The sensationalised case of a snake gulping #36 million naira that the media feasted on was just one of the measures taken to entrench discipline. I remember that the EFCC tweeted then that an “eagle (representing EFCC) shows no mercy for money-swallowing snake(s)”. I share the belief that we must all suffer for either the pain of discipline or the pain of regret or disappointment.

“This is why discipline is incontestable as a cardinal principle of JAMB operations and that accounts for the well-known remittances of scores of billions in operational surpluses to the government treasury.”

“At the heart of our operational blueprint is technology and we owe many of our far-reaching reforms to innovative technologies. Scaling up of Computer-Based Test (CBT), improvement of digital architecture, creating Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS), advanced biometric and identity verification, CCTV monitoring, digital PINs and payments as well as Remote Authoring and Moderation System (RAMS) and institutional digital transformation are some of the steps taken to make our operations seamless on rock-solid integrity.

“We also commenced the Bring-Your-Device initiative, which we believe will be perfected and operationalized. What happened last year which made me emotional was a proof that technology has its limits, just like everything human, and eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.

“My stewardship is also anchored on transparency as I believe that only darkness is afraid of light. In this regard, our operational and financial transactions are in the open domain and our weekly newsletter, JAMB Bulletin, always contains details of our activities and finances. Transparency goes beyond the material and it involves the admission process itself.

“With a system like CAPS, which is deemed revolutionary, the admissions into our institutions are transparent and anyone can question why a candidate is not admitted despite meriting it. The syndrome of ‘under-the-table’ admissions has been confined to antiquity and this actually brings relief to all stakeholders because the records would be glaring to implicate anyone who circumvents laid down procedure.

“My belief is that transparency, which is about ensuring that honest, accurate and accessible information is available even before asking, transforms institutions by eliminating toxic silos.

“I will quietly go back to class. Whatever accomplishments have been recorded during this period are not mine alone. They are the result of many people working together for a common purpose. We promoted and enhanced staff welfare, but we did not condone indiscipline,” he added.

New JAMB Registrar reveals agenda

In his assumption speech, after receiving handover notes from Prof Oloyede, the new JAMB Registrar, Prof Aina, said he never imagined that he would be JAMB Registrar after visiting the Board over 20 years ago, but will do his best to improve on structures he met on ground.

He said the credibility of an institution must not rest on one individual, but on values, saying the integrity of JAMB must be protected.

He thanked President Tinubu for entrusting him with the leadership of the Board and assured Nigerians that he would work to protect the credibility of the examination and admissions system.

He described JAMB as more than an examination body, saying it served as a bridge between the aspirations of millions of young Nigerians and opportunities for higher education.

The new Registrar pledged to strengthen the integrity of JAMB, improve customer service, reduce stress and uncertainty for candidates and parents, and deepen the use of technology to enhance efficiency and transparency.

He said the credibility of the institution must rest on strong values and systems rather than on any individual.

He also warned individuals involved in examination malpractice, impersonation, credential forgery, fraud and other acts capable of undermining the integrity of JAMB’s operations.

Aina urged candidates to embrace preparation, merit and honest effort, stressing that shortcuts could not replace hard work.

He said: “The office I assume today does not belong to me,” Aina said. “It belongs to every young Nigerian whose future passes through JAMB.

“Behind every registration number is a young person with a dream. Behind every application is a family making sacrifices. Behind every admission is the hope of a better future.

“If, at the end of my stewardship, JAMB becomes less dependent on individuals and more dependent on strong systems, then I shall consider my service worthwhile.

“The Board will continue to deploy lawful technological, administrative and investigative measures to detect and deter wrongdoing.”