Tinubu Appoints 39-Year-Old Professor Segun Aina to Head JAMB Post-Oloyede Era

President Bola Tinubu has appointed Professor Segun Aina as the new Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), succeeding Professor Is-haq Oloyede whose two-term tenure ends on 31 July 2026.

The appointment, announced on Thursday, 21 May 2026, marks a generational shift at Nigeria’s premier tertiary admissions body. While Aina, who turns 40 in July, will become the youngest person ever to lead JAMB, he takes over from Oloyede, who is widely credited with transforming the board into one of Nigeria’s most efficient and technologically advanced public institutions during his decade-long tenure.

Under Oloyede, who assumed office in 2016, JAMB underwent its most significant modernisation in history. He fully implemented the Computer-Based Test (CBT) format nationwide, replacing the error-prone paper-and-pencil system that had plagued the examination for decades. Malpractice cases dropped dramatically – from thousands of reported incidents annually to near-zero in many centres – through the introduction of biometric verification, real-time result processing, and centralised e-facility portals for registration and result checking.

These reforms not only restored public confidence in the UTME but also turned JAMB into a major revenue earner for the federal government. In his first few years, the board remitted over ₦50 billion to the national treasury, a sharp increase from previous years, while cutting operational costs through digital efficiency. Oloyede also strengthened collaboration with security agencies to tackle examination fraud syndicates and introduced innovative policies such as the “no refund, no resit” rule for candidates who missed exams without genuine cause. His leadership earned JAMB international recognition for transparency and best practices in public examination management.

Prof. Aina trained entirely in the United Kingdom. He earned a Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Systems Engineering from the University of Kent in 2008, followed by an MSc in Internet Computing and Network Security and a PhD in Digital Signal Processing, both from Loughborough University. He later obtained a Senior Management Programme certificate from Lagos Business School.

At age 39 he was appointed Professor of Computer Engineering at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife – one of the youngest in his field in Nigeria – based on strong research output, leadership, and efforts to translate academic knowledge into real-world solutions.

He has authored about 30 peer-reviewed journal and conference papers and belongs to several professional bodies, including the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria, the Nigerian Society of Engineers, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and the Institution of Engineering and Technology.

Aina’s connection to JAMB is longstanding. He began his professional journey at the board during his National Youth Service Corps posting, gaining early insight into national admissions processes and data-driven management. He has since advised the presidency and several state governments on system design, digital transition, and operational reform. He has consulted for NECO and NABTEB on ICT systems, examination integrity, and digital optimisation.

In 2010 he co-founded Fluid Click Solutions Ltd, an IT services and engineering company with interests spanning education technology, agriculture, hospitality, and technical vocational education.

The State House says Aina’s early experience at JAMB, combined with his expertise in digital systems and public policy, positions him to build on Oloyede’s reforms and drive further innovation in examination processes and systems optimisation.