JAMB Registrar Oloyede to Step Down After 10 Years of Service

The Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, Prof. Is-haq Olanrewaju Oloyede, will reportedly step down after overseeing the 2026 Admissions Policy Meeting, bringing an end to a decade-long administration that significantly transformed the examination body.

The announcement was made on Monday by the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Said Ahmad, during the 2026 Policy Meeting on Admissions into Tertiary Institutions held in Abuja.

According to the minister, the 2026 meeting would be the last admissions policy meeting to be presided over by Prof. Oloyede as Registrar of JAMB.

Speaking during the meeting, Ahmad praised Oloyede for his contributions to the education sector and his impact on the operations of JAMB over the last 10 years.

“This is the last policy meeting you will be holding. He has been here for ten years. He has done a lot of good things. Ten years is a long time but he is not tired. We will just give you a resting period to relax a bit and then we will just call you back,” she stated.

A Decade of Reforms at JAMB

Prof. Oloyede officially assumed office as JAMB Registrar on August 9, 2016. Since then, he has been widely credited for introducing transparency, accountability, and financial discipline into the examination body.

One of the most notable achievements during his tenure was the massive increase in JAMB’s remittances to the Federal Government. Before his appointment, records showed that the board remitted less than ₦50 million in total between 1978 and 2016. However, under Oloyede’s leadership, JAMB reportedly remitted ₦7.8 billion in 2017 alone.

Between 2016 and 2026, the board generated and remitted over ₦20.7 billion in operating surplus while also funding several developmental projects using internally generated revenue.

These financial improvements also contributed to the Federal Government’s decision to reduce the cost of tertiary institution application forms by 30%, providing relief for millions of admission seekers and their families across Nigeria.

His Contributions Beyond JAMB

Before his appointment as JAMB Registrar, Prof. Oloyede served as the Vice-Chancellor of University of Ilorin from October 2007 to October 2012.

During his time in the university system, he also held major leadership positions, including serving as Chairman of the Association of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities and the Committee of Vice-Chancellors between 2011 and 2012.

Academically, Oloyede is a respected professor of Islamic Studies who became a professor in 1995. Over the years, he has published nearly 100 academic papers and participated in conferences across different parts of the world.

Awards and National Recognition

His service in public administration and education has earned him several honours and awards.

Some of the recognitions include:

• Officer of the Federal Republic (OFR) in 2014
• Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) in 2022
• National Productivity Order of Merit Award in 2019
• Nigeria Excellence Award in Public Service (Education Category) in 2022

Many education stakeholders have described his tenure as one of the most impactful periods in the history of JAMB, particularly in areas of examination credibility, digital innovation, and financial accountability.

What Next for JAMB?

Although there has been no official announcement yet regarding his successor, discussions are already beginning within the education sector concerning who will take over the leadership of JAMB after Oloyede’s exit.

As Nigeria’s tertiary admission system continues to evolve, many stakeholders believe the next Registrar will face the challenge of sustaining the reforms, transparency, and technological advancements introduced during Oloyede’s administration.

Prof. Oloyede, who is currently 71 years old, is married with children and grandchildren. His expected exit from JAMB marks the end of a significant era in Nigeria’s education sector.