President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the appointment of Professor Segun Aina as the new Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), succeeding Professor Is-haq Oloyede whose second and final tenure will expire on July 31, 2026.
The appointment marks a significant transition in the leadership of Nigeria’s foremost tertiary admissions agency, with Professor Aina expected to take over the affairs of the Board following the completion of Oloyede’s tenure.
Professor Aina, who will turn 40 in July, is widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s leading experts in digital systems, institutional reform, and examination administration. His appointment is seen as part of ongoing efforts by the Tinubu administration to strengthen public institutions through the deployment of professionals with strong technological and administrative expertise.
A distinguished academic and systems engineer, Aina possesses extensive experience in the management of national examination systems, digital infrastructure development, and public-sector transformation. Over the years, he has built a reputation for driving innovation and promoting technology-driven reforms across educational and governmental institutions.
The new JAMB registrar obtained a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Computer Systems Engineering from the University of Kent. He later earned a Master of Science degree in Internet Computing and Network Security, as well as a doctorate in Digital Signal Processing, both from Loughborough University. In further pursuit of leadership and management competence, he also completed the Senior Management Programme at the Lagos Business School.
Professor Aina currently serves as a Professor of Computer Engineering at Obafemi Awolowo University, where he has distinguished himself through teaching, research, and contributions to technological advancement in Nigeria’s education sector.
His relationship with JAMB dates back to his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) year when he first worked with the examination body. That early exposure provided him with foundational insights into Nigeria’s tertiary admissions system, institutional processes, and the role of data management in educational administration.
Observers believe those formative experiences helped shape his long-standing interest in examination reform and systems optimisation, areas in which he has continued to make significant contributions throughout his career.
With more than 15 years of post-graduation professional experience, Professor Aina has worked at the intersection of technology, governance, and institutional development. He has advised both federal and state governments on issues relating to digital transition, systems architecture, policy implementation, and operational reforms aimed at improving efficiency in public institutions.
At the age of 39, he became one of the youngest professors of Computer Engineering in Nigeria. His appointment as JAMB registrar also makes him the youngest person ever to occupy the position in the history of the Board.
Beyond academia, Aina has served as a consultant to several major examination bodies in Nigeria, including the National Examinations Council (NECO) and the National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB). He has also worked with various state ministries of education, offering expertise in ICT deployment, examination integrity systems, digital process optimisation, and education technology reforms.
His professional engagements have largely focused on improving transparency, reducing examination malpractice, strengthening data security, and enhancing operational efficiency in examination management systems across the country.
Professor Aina is also an active member of several professional and engineering bodies within and outside Nigeria. These include 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).
The Presidency said President Tinubu expects the incoming registrar to deploy his broad experience, technical knowledge, and practical understanding of examination systems to further strengthen JAMB and consolidate on the achievements recorded under Professor Oloyede’s leadership.
Since assuming office in 2016, Oloyede has been widely credited with introducing reforms that improved transparency, increased remittances to government coffers, modernised examination processes, and strengthened public confidence in the Board’s operations.
Analysts say Aina’s background in digital systems and institutional reform may signal the next phase of technological advancement and automation within the examination body, particularly in areas such as admissions processing, candidate verification, cybersecurity, and examination integrity management.
The appointment has already attracted attention within Nigeria’s education sector, with many stakeholders describing it as a generational shift that could usher in a new era of technology-driven administration at JAMB.
The statement announcing the appointment was issued on Thursday by presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga.
President Tinubu reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to improving educational institutions and strengthening governance structures through merit-based appointments and strategic reforms aimed at enhancing service delivery across the country.
