By Felix Khanoba
Prominent figures in Nigeria’s education sector have commended the immediate past Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Professor Is-haq Oloyede, for what they described as a decade of remarkable reforms that strengthened the credibility and accountability of the examination body.
The tributes came during a reception held Friday evening at the Abuja Continental Hotel following Oloyede’s formal handover of JAMB’s leadership to his successor, Professor Segun Aina.
Among those present 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); lawmakers, vice-chancellors, heads of tertiary institutions, members of JAMB’s management and staff, as well as family members and associates.
Speaking at the event, Alausa praised Oloyede’s leadership, describing his time at JAMB as one that fundamentally changed the institution and enhanced its public image through reforms focused on transparency, innovation and accountability.
“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 enabled him to witness his dedication to integrity, excellence and visionary leadership.
He noted that the former registrar introduced reforms that strengthened the credibility of the nation’s admissions process while rebuilding public trust through transparent and accountable administration.
The minister also commended Oloyede’s financial discipline, saying his insistence on due process and ethical standards positioned JAMB as a model public institution.
“His tenure has demonstrated that public institutions can be efficient, transparent, technologically driven and citizen-focused when led by individuals of character and conviction,” he said.
The Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Said Ahmad, also applauded Oloyede’s contributions, describing his years in office as a defining period in the evolution of Nigeria’s tertiary admissions system.
She said his administration reflected integrity, discipline, innovation and an unwavering commitment to quality service.
According to Ahmad, the deployment of technology under Oloyede significantly improved transparency, reduced examination malpractice, enhanced service delivery and strengthened confidence in the board.
“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 personal values reshaped public administration.
She said he restored confidence in JAMB by transforming it from a conventional examination agency into a globally respected institution driven by technological innovation and institutional reforms.
Also speaking, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Professor Wahab Egbewole (SAN), described Oloyede as an exceptional Nigerian whose achievements at both the University of Ilorin and JAMB would endure for generations.
Egbewole recalled Oloyede’s tenure as Vice-Chancellor, crediting him with major improvements in infrastructure, human capital development and institutional expansion at the university.
He added that Oloyede brought the same reform-driven approach to JAMB, strengthening the integrity of the admissions process while demonstrating that honesty and patriotism remain essential values in public service.
Participants at the reception agreed that Oloyede leaves behind a more transparent, technologically advanced and credible examination body than the one he assumed leadership of in 2016.
Many speakers also highlighted his financial stewardship as one of the defining achievements of his administration.
They noted that whereas previous JAMB administrations reportedly remitted about ₦50 million to the Federal Government over nearly four decades, Oloyede’s leadership recorded remittances exceeding ₦7 billion in a single year and more than ₦50 billion throughout his ten-year tenure.
His administration was also widely acknowledged for introducing reforms that reshaped Nigeria’s tertiary admissions process and improved confidence in the nation’s examination system.
