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The immediate past Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Professor Is-haq Oloyede, was on Friday honoured by Nigeria’s education community following the end of his 10-year tenure, with the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Olatunji Alausa, describing his leadership as transformational and a model of integrity in public service.
Eko Hot Blog reports that the reception, held at the Abuja Continental Hotel shortly after Oloyede handed over to his successor, Professor Segun Aina, brought together top government officials, education stakeholders, lawmakers, vice-chancellors, heads of tertiary institutions, JAMB management and staff, as well as family members and friends.
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Among those in attendance were the 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, and the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Professor Wahab Egbewole (SAN).
Leading the tributes, Alausa said Oloyede’s decade-long tenure transformed JAMB into one of Nigeria’s most respected public institutions through reforms anchored on 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 noted that working closely with Oloyede gave him firsthand knowledge of the former registrar’s commitment to excellence, integrity, courage and visionary leadership.
According to him, Oloyede restored public confidence in Nigeria’s tertiary admissions process through transparent reforms while strengthening the credibility of the examination body.
He also commended Oloyede’s prudent financial management, describing him as a model of incorruptibility whose insistence on due process and ethical conduct repositioned JAMB as 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 added.
Also speaking, 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 said his leadership was characterised by integrity, discipline, innovation and an unwavering commitment to excellence, adding that his deployment of technology significantly 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, saying he turned JAMB into a globally respected institution driven by technology and transparency.
Similarly, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Professor Wahab Egbewole (SAN), praised Oloyede’s contributions to both the university and JAMB, describing him as an uncommon Nigerian whose reforms would leave a lasting legacy.
He recalled Oloyede’s achievements as Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin before his appointment as JAMB Registrar, noting that he later replicated the same reform-driven approach by restoring integrity to Nigeria’s admissions process.
Speakers at the event unanimously agreed that Oloyede leaves behind a stronger, more transparent and technologically advanced JAMB than he inherited in 2016.
They also highlighted his record in financial accountability, noting that while previous administrations reportedly remitted about ₦50 million to the Federal Government over nearly four decades, Oloyede remitted more than ₦7 billion in a single year and over ₦50 billion during his 10-year stewardship.
The stakeholders said his reforms fundamentally reshaped Nigeria’s tertiary admissions system and strengthened public confidence in the examination body.
