KEY POINTS
- Tinubu appointed Professor Segun Aina, 39, as the new JAMB registrar.
- Aina succeeds Ishaq Oloyede, whose tenure ends July 31, 2026.
- The computer engineer will be the youngest registrar in JAMB’s history.
President Bola Tinubu has appointed Professor Segun Aina as the new JAMB registrar, handing Nigeria’s main university admissions body to one of its youngest leaders ever. Aina, who turns 40 in July, succeeds Professor Ishaq Oloyede, whose tenure ends on July 31, 2026. Moreover, the move places a computer engineer at the head of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board.
Who is the new JAMB registrar
Aina teaches computer engineering at Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife, and he ranks among Nigeria’s youngest professors in the field. Specifically, his work centers on digital infrastructure, national examination systems and institutional reform. According to the Presidency, he will become the youngest registrar in JAMB’s history when he takes office. The board conducts the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, the gateway test that millions of Nigerians sit each year for university places.
His training is heavily technical. He earned a bachelor’s degree in computer systems engineering from the University of Kent, then a master’s in internet computing and network security and a doctorate in digital signal processing, both from Loughborough University in the United Kingdom. Additionally, he completed the Senior Management Programme at Lagos Business School.
A track record in exam systems
Aina brings more than 15 years of advisory work to the role. Indeed, he has counseled federal and state governments on digital transition, institutional reform and system design. Moreover, he has consulted for other exam bodies, including the National Examinations Council and the National Business and Technical Examinations Board, on ICT systems and examination integrity.
He also holds memberships in several professional bodies. These include the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria, the Nigerian Society of Engineers, the IEEE and the Institution of Engineering and Technology. Therefore, his profile leans firmly toward technology and exam security, two areas JAMB has prioritized in recent years.
Big shoes to fill
Aina inherits a board that won wide praise under Oloyede. The outgoing registrar earned national attention for returning billions of naira in surpluses to the treasury and for tightening exam security. Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, announced the appointment in a statement on Thursday. Now, the president wants the new JAMB registrar to push the agency even further.
Tinubu said he expects Aina to draw on his experience and practical insight to take JAMB beyond the heights it reached under his predecessor. Meanwhile, the choice signals a bet on technology, since JAMB runs one of Africa’s largest computer-based testing operations. While the appointment is fresh, the expectation is clear, since the president wants the board to build on Oloyede’s record and modernize further.
