President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the historic appointment of 39-year-old Professor Segun Aina as the incoming Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).
The announcement, made on Thursday morning, May 21, 2026, by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, marks a monumental shift toward youth inclusion in the governance of Nigeria’s critical federal agencies.
Professor Aina, a world-class academic who will turn 40 in July, is slated to succeed the long-serving Professor Is-haq Oloyede, whose second highly successful term officially elapses on July 31, 2026.
5 Quick Facts About the New JAMB Registrar
- Youngest in History: Professor Aina makes history as the youngest individual ever appointed to lead the nation’s apex matriculation examination body. He was also already recognized as one of Nigeria’s youngest professors of Computer Engineering.
- Full-Circle NYSC Journey: In a fascinating twist of destiny, Aina’s professional relationship with JAMB actually began during his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) program, where he served with the board and gained his foundational experience in national admissions data and software systems.
- OAU Faculty Heavyweight: Prior to his landmark appointment by the presidency, he served as a Professor of Computer Engineering at the prestigious Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife.
- Elite UK Training: Aina holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Systems Engineering from the University of Kent. He later advanced his research in the United Kingdom, bagging both an MSc in Internet Computing and Network Security and a PhD in Digital Signal Processing from Loughborough University, alongside completing the Senior Management Programme at Lagos Business School (LBS).
- Consultant to Exam Bodies: With over 15 years of technical expertise at the intersection of technology and public policy, he has actively consulted on digital transitions and examination integrity for major institutional frameworks including NECO, NABTEB, and several state ministries of education.
“His appointment is a clear indication of the administration’s commitment to injecting innovative digital expertise and youthful vigor into the management of the nation’s education sector, building upon the robust anti-corruption and systemic baselines established during the Oloyede era.” — Presidency Statement
Filling Large Shoes
The appointment represents a massive vote of confidence, but it also places a heavy burden of expectation on the young academic’s shoulders. Outgoing registrar Prof. Is-haq Oloyede has been widely celebrated across Nigeria for overhauling JAMB from a leak-prone, financially opaque agency into a tech-driven, multi-billion Naira revenue generator for the Federal Government.
With his heavy background in network security and digital signal processing, Professor Aina is widely expected to focus his incoming tenure on combating high-tech examination malpractice, modernizing computer-based testing (CBT) centers nationwide, and fully integrating artificial intelligence into the processing of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
