By Felix Khanoba
Prof. Is-haq Oloyede on Friday formally handed over the leadership of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to his successor, Prof. Segun Aina, highlighting a decade of reforms anchored on staff welfare, transparency and technology, while the new registrar pledged an uncompromising battle against examination malpractice and admission fraud.
Speaking during the handover ceremony at the board’s headquarters in Bwari, Abuja, Oloyede said JAMB committed more than N8 billion during his 10-year tenure to strengthen employees’ retirement savings and improve their financial security.
He said staff welfare was one of the five pillars that guided his administration, leading to the introduction of several incentives, including retirement benefits, a 13th-month salary, examination duty allowances and other support programmes.
“Then, we committed over N8 billion to strengthening employees’ retirement savings and their overall financial stability, provided ‘retirement handshakes’ of between N3 million and N10 million to retiring staff and introduced an extra annual salary bonus called ’13th month salary’ to boost staff’s morale,” Oloyede said.
According to him, the board also doubled examination duty incentives from 10 per cent to 20 per cent, provided free daily meals and transportation support for critical operational staff, and intervened in workers’ medical expenses, including funding N12 million treatment for one employee at the National Hospital.
He added that exceptional staff members were rewarded with cash prizes, awards and the naming of JAMB facilities after deserving employees.
Oloyede said the welfare programmes extended beyond members of staff to candidates and tertiary institutions.
“Beyond the staff, we also extended welfare to the students, reducing the cost of UTME application by 30% and sponsoring the special needs candidates and their guides to the exam venues in addition to refund of application fee, feeding and accommodating them. We also extended hands of fellowship to the institutions by dispensing, through NATAPM Award, about #750 million annually, to different tertiary institutions in the country,” he stated.
The former registrar also defended the board’s strict disciplinary culture, revealing that more than 10 members of staff were prosecuted over alleged misconduct during his tenure.
Recalling the controversial “snake swallowed N36 million” incident, he said it reflected JAMB’s determination to enforce accountability.
“The sensationalised case of a snake gulping #36 million naira that the media feasted on was just one of the measures taken to entrench discipline,” he said.
Reflecting on his stewardship, Oloyede said his administration was built on welfare, discipline, technology, transparency and networking, adding that these principles transformed JAMB into a more credible and technology-driven institution.
Taking over as registrar, Aina vowed to preserve the integrity of the nation’s tertiary admission system through tougher measures against examination malpractice and fraudulent admissions.
He said his administration would deploy technological, administrative and investigative tools to detect, deter and prosecute offenders while strengthening collaboration with security and law enforcement agencies.
“We shall protect the integrity of JAMB with everything the law permits.
“To those who organise examination malpractice, recruit impersonators, forge credentials, compromise CBT centres, exploit desperate candidates and parents, engage in cybercrime, extortion, bribery or identity theft, hear me clearly: your business is in the wrong institution,” he declared.
Aina maintained that fraudulent admissions deprived deserving candidates of opportunities.
“The future belongs to those who prepare, not those who cheat. Every fraudulent admission secured through malpractice is a place stolen from an honest Nigerian. We shall do everything within the law to ensure that such theft does not succeed,” he said.
Describing JAMB as more than an examination body, he said the institution represents hope for millions of young Nigerians seeking admission into tertiary institutions.
“Behind every registration number is a young person with a dream. Behind every application is a family making sacrifices. Behind every admission is the hope for a better future. Very few public institutions are entrusted with something so precious, and that trust is our greatest responsibility,” he stated.
The new registrar assured candidates and parents that his administration would simplify JAMB processes, improve communication and strengthen customer support to reduce stress associated with admissions.
“We must never become the source of unnecessary trauma for Nigerians. Whether they visit our offices, call our help desk or interact with us online, they should encounter professionalism, courtesy, clarity and genuine care,” he said.
Aina also stressed the need to build stronger institutional systems rather than rely on individuals.
“If, at the end of my stewardship, JAMB becomes less dependent on individuals and more dependent on strong systems, less vulnerable to personalities and more resilient because of its culture, then I shall consider my service worthwhile,” he said.
He thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for appointing him and pledged to discharge his responsibilities with integrity.
“I am profoundly grateful to His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for the confidence he has reposed in me by entrusting me with the leadership of one of Nigeria’s most consequential public institutions. I assure Mr President and every Nigerian that I shall discharge this responsibility with integrity, fairness, diligence and an unwavering commitment to the public good,” he said.
Paying tribute to his predecessors, Aina particularly commended Oloyede for strengthening the credibility of JAMB and ensuring a seamless transition.
“Leadership is not measured only by how we assume office but by how we prepare others to succeed. Your willingness to share your experience and place the institution above self reflects the values that have defined your stewardship,” he said.
Describing his appointment as a “homecoming,” Aina recalled serving at JAMB as a National Youth Service Corps member nearly two decades ago.
“I walked through the gates of JAMB as a young corps member almost 20 years ago. I never imagined I would return one day as registrar. That experience taught me that JAMB is a community of dedicated public servants quietly changing the lives of millions of Nigerians,” he said.
He urged staff to embrace innovation, professionalism and integrity.
“The future of JAMB will not be built from the office of the registrar alone. It will be built by thousands of dedicated public servants choosing every day to do ordinary things extraordinarily well,” he said.
