Prof. Segun Aina takes helm at JAMB following Oloyede’s exit

​ABUJA — Marking the end of an era in Nigeria’s educational administration, the outgoing Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, bowed out of office on Friday after ten years of transformative service, candidly declaring that he must return to academia to “beg God” for the unavoidable compromises of high-stakes public office.

​Oloyede handed over leadership of the examination body to his successor, Prof. Segun Aina, during an official transition ceremony that drew stakeholders, education administrators, and media personnel to the agency’s headquarters.

​Reflecting on a decade marked by sweeping digital reforms, rigorous anti-fraud measures, and unprecedented financial remittances to the Federal Government, Oloyede spoke openly about the spiritual and psychological toll of managing Nigeria’s central tertiary admissions system.

​”You cannot serve in these past 10 years without losing one spiritual quality or the other, so I need to go back… we are in a very dangerous system that in one way or the other you will have violated your own principles yourself,” Oloyede remarked. “You need some time to go and beg God for what was done. And you have to accept the responsibility.”

​No Regrets Over Mmesoma Controversy

​The outgoing registrar also revisited one of the most polarizing episodes of his tenure—the 2023 sanction involving Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination candidate Mmesoma Ejikeme, who inflated her score from 249 to 362. Maintaining that the board’s decision was entirely justified, Oloyede insisted that the punitive measures were enacted to preserve the sanctity of the nation’s examination processes rather than out of malice.

​Describing Mmesoma as “our daughter,” Oloyede noted that the board acted as a responsible parent correcting a child. While expressing regret that sections of the public were initially misled by false narratives, he expressed satisfaction that subsequent facts completely vindicated the board’s stance.

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​A New Chapter Under Aina

​As Prof. Segun Aina steps into the role as the board’s new helmsman, he inherits an institution defined by heavy computerization and strict oversight. Aina, a scholar from Obafemi Awolowo University whose historical ties with JAMB date back to his National Youth Service Corps days, pledged to protect the integrity of the institution.

​In his inaugural address, the incoming registrar issued a stern warning to malpractice rings and syndicates, vowing that the board would continue to weaponize cutting-edge technology to frustrate exam fraud and secure the future of honest candidates.