Alausa, Education Leaders Hail Oloyede’s Decade of JAMB Reforms

Nigeria’s education sector on Friday honoured the immediate past Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, as he concluded his 10-year tenure marked by far-reaching reforms that reshaped the nation’s tertiary admissions system.

The event, held at the Abuja Continental Hotel after Oloyede formally handed over to the new JAMB Registrar, Prof. Segun Aina, attracted senior government officials, education stakeholders, lawmakers, academics, family members and friends who celebrated his contributions to public service.

Among those in attendance were the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Olatunji Alausa; the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Said Ahmad; former Minister of Education, Prof. Chinwe Obaji; Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Arc. Sonny Echono; and the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof. Wahab Egbewole (SAN).

Leading the tributes, Alausa described Oloyede’s stewardship as one that fundamentally changed JAMB through reforms centred on accountability, innovation, transparency and efficient service delivery.

“It is with profound admiration and deep appreciation that I pay tribute to Professor Is-haq Olanrewaju Oloyede as he concludes his distinguished tenure as Registrar of JAMB,” the minister said.

Alausa noted that his close working relationship with Oloyede gave him firsthand insight into the former registrar’s dedication to integrity, excellence and visionary leadership.

According to him, Oloyede restored credibility to Nigeria’s admissions process by introducing reforms that strengthened transparency and renewed public confidence in JAMB’s operations.

He also commended the former registrar’s financial discipline, describing him as a public servant whose commitment to due process and ethical standards turned JAMB into a model institution.

“His tenure has demonstrated that public institutions can be efficient, transparent, technologically driven and citizen-focused when led by individuals of character and conviction,” Alausa said.

The Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Said Ahmad, also praised Oloyede, describing his administration as a defining period in the history of tertiary admissions in Nigeria.

She said his leadership combined innovation, discipline and integrity, while the deployment of technology under his watch improved service delivery, curbed examination malpractice and enhanced the credibility of the examination body.

“Under his visionary leadership, JAMB emerged as one of the most credible and technologically driven examination bodies in Africa,” she said.

Former Minister of Education, Prof. Chinwe Obaji, described Oloyede as a reform-driven administrator whose courage and commitment transformed JAMB into a globally respected institution anchored on technology, transparency and institutional accountability.

Similarly, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof. Wahab Egbewole (SAN), said Oloyede’s contributions to both the university and JAMB would remain enduring.

He recalled Oloyede’s tenure as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, where he spearheaded major improvements in infrastructure, human capital development and institutional growth before bringing the same reform agenda to JAMB.

Egbewole said the former registrar restored integrity to the admissions process and proved that honesty, patriotism and purposeful leadership could deliver lasting change in public institutions.

Speakers at the reception agreed that Oloyede leaves behind a stronger and more technologically advanced JAMB than he inherited in 2016.

They particularly highlighted his record in public financial management, noting that while the agency reportedly remitted about ₦50 million to the Federal Government over nearly four decades before his appointment, it remitted more than ₦7 billion in a single year under his leadership and over ₦50 billion during his decade in office.

They added that beyond financial accountability, Oloyede’s reforms fundamentally transformed Nigeria’s tertiary admissions system, earning JAMB widespread recognition as one of the country’s most transparent public institutions.