President Bola Tinubu has appointed Professor Segun Aina as the new Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), positioning the 39-year-old academic as the youngest person ever to lead the examination body.
The appointment, announced on Thursday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, comes as Professor Ishaq Oloyede prepares to complete his tenure on July 31, 2026, after nearly a decade in office.
Aina, who turns 40 in July, is a Professor of Computer Engineering at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, and is widely recognised for his work in digital infrastructure, institutional reform, and examination technology systems.
According to the Presidency, the new JAMB Registrar brings more than 15 years of experience advising federal and state governments on digital transformation initiatives and public sector system design. He has also consulted for major examination bodies including the National Examinations Council (NECO) and the National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB) on ICT deployment and examination integrity.
Aina holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Computer Systems Engineering from the University of Kent in the United Kingdom, alongside a Master’s degree in Internet Computing and Network Security and a PhD in Digital Signal Processing from Loughborough University. He also completed the Senior Management Programme at Lagos Business School.
In a statement announcing the appointment, President Tinubu said he expects Aina to build on the institutional reforms introduced during Oloyede’s administration.
“President Tinubu expects Professor Aina to bring to bear his vast experience, knowledge and practical insight into the operations of the Board, to take the critical educational organisation beyond the laudable heights achieved by his predecessor,” the statement read.
Oloyede’s Decade of Reform at JAMB
Professor Ishaq Oloyede assumed office as JAMB Registrar in August 2016 under former President Muhammadu Buhari and is widely credited with transforming the institution’s operational and financial structure.
During his tenure, JAMB introduced a fully computer-based testing system, biometric verification, e-ticketing, CCTV monitoring across accredited centres, and the Integrated Brochure and Syllabus System aimed at reducing malpractice and administrative inefficiencies.
One of the most notable reforms under Oloyede was the launch of the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS), which automated university admission processes and reduced human interference in candidate placements.
Financially, the agency also recorded a dramatic turnaround. Between 2016 and 2026, JAMB reportedly generated and remitted more than ₦20.7 billion in operating surplus to the Federal Government while funding internal development projects from its own revenue.
The Challenges Facing the New Registrar
Despite the institutional progress recorded over the past decade, Aina assumes office at a difficult moment for the examination body.
The 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) was marred by widespread technical failures that affected multiple computer-based testing centres across the country, leaving several candidates unable to complete their examinations.
The disruptions triggered nationwide criticism and renewed concerns over the reliability of Nigeria’s digital examination infrastructure, particularly in areas struggling with unstable electricity supply, inadequate hardware, and overstretched CBT facilities.
For Aina, whose professional background is rooted in digital infrastructure and systems engineering, addressing those operational weaknesses could become the defining challenge of his tenure.
Education stakeholders will now be watching closely to see whether the next phase of JAMB’s digital transformation can strengthen the foundation built under Oloyede or expose deeper structural limitations within Nigeria’s examination ecosystem.
