Nigeria’s education community on Friday night honoured the immediate past Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Professor Is-haq Oloyede, as he formally concluded a decade-long tenure widely acclaimed for transforming the examination body into one of the country’s most transparent and accountable public institutions.
The reception, held at the Abuja Continental Hotel shortly after Oloyede handed over the leadership of JAMB to his successor, Professor Segun Aina, attracted top government officials, education stakeholders, lawmakers, heads of tertiary institutions, family members and friends.
Among those in attendance were the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Olatunji Alausa; Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Said Ahmad; former Minister of Education, Professor Chinwe Obaji; Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Arc. Sonny Echono; Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Professor Wahab Egbewole (SAN); members of the National Assembly; vice-chancellors; and JAMB management and staff.
Leading the tributes, Alausa described Oloyede’s tenure as “nothing short of transformational,” saying his leadership repositioned JAMB into one of Nigeria’s most respected public institutions through accountability, transparency, innovation 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 said his close working relationship with Oloyede gave him firsthand insight into the former registrar’s commitment to excellence, integrity, courage and visionary leadership.
He noted that under Oloyede’s stewardship, JAMB strengthened the credibility of Nigeria’s admissions process and restored public confidence in tertiary education admissions through reforms anchored on transparency and accountability.
The minister also commended Oloyede’s prudent financial management, describing him as a model of incorruptibility whose commitment to due process and ethical conduct made JAMB a benchmark for good governance.
“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.
Also paying tribute, the Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Said Ahmad, described Oloyede’s administration as a defining era in Nigeria’s tertiary admissions system.
She praised him as an exceptional administrator, distinguished scholar and exemplary public servant whose years in office were marked by integrity, innovation, discipline and an unwavering commitment to excellence.
According to her, Oloyede’s strategic deployment of technology enhanced transparency, drastically reduced examination malpractice, improved service delivery and strengthened institutional credibility.
“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, Professor Chinwe Obaji, described Oloyede as a transformational leader whose courage and character redefined public administration.
She said he restored public confidence in JAMB and transformed the agency from a conventional examination body into a globally respected institution driven by technology, transparency and institutional reforms.
Similarly, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Professor Wahab Egbewole (SAN), described Oloyede as an uncommon Nigerian whose contributions to both the University of Ilorin and JAMB would remain enduring.
He recalled Oloyede’s achievements as Vice-Chancellor of the university, crediting him with modernising the institution through major improvements in infrastructure, human capital development and institutional growth.
According to Egbewole, Oloyede later replicated the same reform-driven approach at JAMB by restoring integrity to the admissions process, strengthening public confidence and demonstrating that honesty and patriotism remain effective tools for public service.
Speakers at the event unanimously agreed that Oloyede leaves behind a stronger, more credible and technologically advanced JAMB than he inherited in 2016.
They noted that one of the defining achievements of his tenure was unprecedented financial accountability. While previous administrations reportedly remitted about ₦50 million to the Federal Government over nearly four decades, Oloyede returned more than ₦7 billion in a single year and over ₦50 billion during his ten years in office.
His administration was also credited with implementing reforms that fundamentally reshaped Nigeria’s tertiary admissions landscape, earning JAMB renewed public trust and international recognition.
