OAU don and tech expert to succeed Is-haq Oloyede as presidency eyes fresh reforms in Nigeria’s admissions system

President Bola Tinubu has appointed Professor Segun Aina, 39, as the new Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), ushering in a new leadership era for the nation’s tertiary admissions body.

Aina, who turns 40 in July, will take over from Professor Is-haq Oloyede, whose two-term tenure comes to an end on July 31, 2026.

Announcing the appointment, presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga described Aina as a highly accomplished academic and systems specialist with deep expertise in national examination frameworks, digital infrastructure, and public-sector reform.

A Professor of Computer Engineering at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Aina holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Systems Engineering from the University of Kent, as well as a Master’s in Internet Computing and Network Security and a PhD in Digital Signal Processing from Loughborough University, United Kingdom. He has also completed the Senior Management Programme at Lagos Business School.

His connection with JAMB dates back to his National Youth Service, where he gained firsthand experience in the board’s operations—an exposure that has since shaped his work in examination reforms and data-driven system optimisation.

Aina is a member of several professional bodies, including the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), and the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET).

According to the presidency, Tinubu expects the new registrar to leverage his technical expertise and institutional knowledge to strengthen JAMB’s operations and build on the reforms implemented by his predecessor.