After a decade of leading the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Professor Is-haq Oloyede formally handed over to his successor, Professor Segun Aina, at a ceremony held at JAMB’s headquarters in Bwari, Abuja, on Friday.
The handover marked the end of one of the most transformative eras in the history of Nigeria’s tertiary admissions body, with 40-year-old Aina becoming the sixth Registrar of the board.
Oloyede, who served for 10 years, expressed gratitude to President Bola Tinubu for the opportunity to serve and urged staff to extend the same loyalty and dedication they gave him to the new Registrar.
He said the achievements recorded during his tenure were a result of collective effort and expressed full confidence in Aina’s ability to take the institution further.
On what comes next for him, Oloyede was clear and emotional about his plans.
“But for me, what’s next is back to my class and my religious activities. I think that is what is next for me. You cannot serve in these past 10 years without losing one spiritual quality or the other, so I need to go back,” he said.
The former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin acknowledged that public service had been demanding both professionally and spiritually, saying he looked forward to quietly returning to the classroom and seeking spiritual renewal after a decade in office.
Accompanied by his wife Motunrayo, the new Registrar Prof Aina pledged to build on the gains of his predecessor while taking a methodical and careful approach to leadership.
He assured stakeholders that his immediate priority would be to listen, observe, and thoroughly understand existing systems before making any changes.
Digital Operations Manager at The Students Forum Nigeria.
