President Tinubu appoints Prof Segun Aina, 39, as new JAMB registrar from August 1, 2026. He succeeds Prof Is-haq Oloyede after 10 years. What candidates should expect.
President Bola Tinubu has appointed Professor Segun Aina, a 39-year-old Computer Engineering professor at Obafemi Awolowo University, as the new Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB). He succeeds Professor Is-haq Oloyede, whose 10-year tenure ends on July 31, 2026, and assumes office on August 1, 2026, becoming the youngest registrar in JAMB's history.
- Appointed
- Thursday, May 21, 2026
- Appointed by
- President Bola Tinubu
- Succeeds
- Prof Is-haq Oloyede (tenure ends July 31, 2026)
- Assumes office
- August 1, 2026
- Age
- 39 (turns 40 in July 2026)
- Position
- Professor of Computer Engineering, OAU Ile-Ife
- Distinction
- Youngest registrar in JAMB's history
The appointment
President Bola Tinubu has appointed Professor Segun Aina as the new Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board. The appointment was confirmed on Thursday, May 21, 2026, in a statement issued by the presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy. The development was carried by national newspapers including Punch, Vanguard and The Nation through the day.
Aina, who is 39, becomes the youngest person ever to hold the office. He succeeds Professor Is-haq Oloyede, whose second term ends on July 31, 2026, and takes office the following day.
About Professor Segun Aina
Professor Segun Aina is a Computer Engineering academic at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, where he became one of Nigeria's youngest professors in the discipline. His academic path runs through the United Kingdom: a Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Systems Engineering from the University of Kent, completed in 2008, followed by a Master of Science in Internet Computing and Network Security from Loughborough University in 2009, and a doctorate in Digital Signal Processing, also from Loughborough.
He later completed the Senior Management Programme at Lagos Business School. A detail widely noted in the coverage of his appointment is that Aina began his working life at JAMB itself, during his National Youth Service Corps year. His return to the Board as its Registrar has been described across several outlets as a full-circle moment.
Alongside his academic work, Aina co-founded Fluid Click Solutions Limited, an information-technology services company, in 2010. He is a member of several professional bodies, including the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria, the Nigerian Society of Engineers, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and the Institution of Engineering and Technology.
Why this appointment matters
Aina is the first JAMB Registrar to come from a Computer Engineering background, and that is the single most consequential fact about the appointment for candidates. JAMB over the past decade has moved decisively toward digital systems: a full transition to computer-based testing, biometric verification of candidates, and a suite of anti-malpractice tools. A Registrar whose academic specialism is digital signal processing and network security is well placed to continue and deepen that direction.
The signal is reinforced by Aina's prior consulting work. Before this appointment he advised NECO, NABTEB and several state education ministries on ICT systems and examination integrity. The expansion of computer-based testing capacity to 1,000 centres, announced earlier in 2026, is the kind of programme his background equips him to carry forward. President Tinubu's selection of a digital-systems specialist, rather than a traditional university administrator, reads as a deliberate continuation of JAMB's technology-first trajectory.
Professor Oloyede's tenure in context
Aina succeeds Professor Is-haq Oloyede, who was appointed JAMB Registrar by President Muhammadu Buhari on August 9, 2016, and reappointed for a second term in August 2021. His tenure formally ends on July 31, 2026.
Oloyede's decade at JAMB coincided with the most significant modernisation in the Board's history. Under his leadership JAMB completed its transition to computer-based testing, introduced biometric verification, strengthened examination-integrity systems and became known for remitting operating surpluses to the federal government. The framework around the Central Admissions Processing System, which now governs how candidates receive and accept offers, also matured during his time in office. His tenure included controversies, among them a closely scrutinised results review earlier in the 2026 cycle. The appointment of a successor follows the natural end of his second term.
What candidates should expect
For candidates in the current cycle, the most important point is continuity. The 2026/2027 admission cycle continues under existing policies. The national minimum admissible score, the admission deadlines and the post-UTME framework are unchanged by this appointment.
The transition itself is scheduled cleanly. Oloyede's tenure ends on July 31, 2026, and Aina assumes office the following day, August 1. There is no gap and no overlap that would disrupt operations.
Looking further ahead, Aina's background points toward continued investment in digital infrastructure: potentially faster CAPS processing, more computer-based testing centres and deeper use of data analytics in admissions and integrity work. None of that changes what a 2026 candidate needs to do now, which is to follow the current cycle's rules and deadlines and monitor the official JAMB portal for updates.
Paraphrased summary. This guide is independent and not affiliated with JAMB or any institution mentioned.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the new JAMB registrar?
The new JAMB Registrar is Professor Segun Aina, a 39-year-old Computer Engineering professor at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. He was appointed by President Bola Tinubu on May 21, 2026. Aina holds engineering degrees from the University of Kent and Loughborough University in the United Kingdom, and notably began his career at JAMB during his National Youth Service Corps year, making his return as Registrar a full-circle appointment.
When does Segun Aina assume office as JAMB registrar?
Professor Segun Aina assumes office as JAMB Registrar on August 1, 2026. This is the day after the tenure of the outgoing registrar, Professor Is-haq Oloyede, formally ends on July 31, 2026. The handover is scheduled cleanly with no gap, so JAMB operations and the 2026/2027 admission cycle continue without disruption through the transition.
Why was Is-haq Oloyede replaced as JAMB registrar?
Professor Is-haq Oloyede was not removed. His second term as JAMB Registrar reached its natural end. He was first appointed in August 2016 by President Muhammadu Buhari and reappointed for a second term in August 2021. With that second term ending on July 31, 2026, President Tinubu appointed a successor in the normal course of the Board's leadership cycle.
Will the 2026 admission policies change with the new registrar?
No. The 2026/2027 admission cycle continues under the policies already announced. The national minimum admissible score, the admission deadlines and the post-UTME framework are unchanged by the appointment. Professor Aina assumes office on August 1, 2026, partway through the cycle, and incoming registrars do not retroactively change a cycle already in progress. Candidates should follow the current rules and deadlines.
What is Segun Aina's background?
Professor Segun Aina holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Systems Engineering from the University of Kent (2008), a Master of Science in Internet Computing and Network Security from Loughborough University (2009), and a doctorate in Digital Signal Processing, also from Loughborough. He completed the Senior Management Programme at Lagos Business School, co-founded an IT services company, and has advised NECO, NABTEB and state education ministries on examination technology.
Will the new registrar affect my JAMB result or admission?
No. The appointment has no immediate operational impact on individual results or admissions. The 2026/2027 cycle runs under existing systems, and the leadership transition is administrative. Professor Aina's Computer Engineering background suggests continued investment in digital infrastructure over time, but nothing about your current UTME result, post-UTME or CAPS admission status changes because of the appointment.