Can Nigeria’s youngest JAMB registrar restore trust?

The appointment of Segun Aina as the youngest registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) marks a generational shift in the board’s leadership and sparks fresh optimism about the future of Nigeria’s tertiary admissions system.

…as Nigerians demand infrastructural overhaul, others

At just 40, Aina inherits an institution that has made significant strides in recent years but continues to grapple with concerns over examination infrastructure, technical glitches, admission transparency and public confidence.

As expectations mount, many Nigerians are looking beyond the symbolism of his historic appointment, urging the new registrar to modernise JAMB’s infrastructure, strengthen the integrity of its processes and restore trust in one of the country’s most critical education agencies.

Aina, a distinguished Nigerian academic and computer engineering expert, was appointed as the registrar of JAMB by President Bola Tinubu and officially assumed office on July 31, 2026.

Before his appointment, Aina was a professor of Computer Engineering at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State. He completed his academic training in the United Kingdom, earning a Bachelor’s in Computer Systems Engineering from the University of Kent, followed by a Master’s and a PhD in Digital Signal Processing from Loughborough University.

Aina is a renowned systems expert with vast experience in national examination systems and digital infrastructure. Notably, his history with JAMB goes back to his time serving as a corps member at the board.

Besides, he has provided ICT support to other key Nigerian examination bodies, such as NECO and NABTEB. He equally succeeded Is-haq Oloyede, whose 10-year, two-term tenure came to an end in July.

As JAMB begins a new chapter under the leadership of Aina, Nigerians have applauded his appointment and tasked him with overhauling the technological infrastructure and computer-based test (CBT) centre quality control, among others.

Isaiah Ogundele, a school administrator, described him as a youth and a tech person who has been helping the board and other examination bodies regarding the technical aspect of the job.

“Aina is expected to use his expertise to resolve all the network issues that JAMB has been battling with. He needs to reshuffle the system because there are lots of saboteurs in the board; they’re fond of aiding and abetting some ‘special’ centres,” he said.

Ogundele also urges the new JAMB registrar to flush out some bad eggs in the board, and listen more to some credible advice from knowledgeable people without religious bias.

Kayode Afolayan, a teacher, said Aina is uniquely well-suited to lead JAMB forward, going by his background in computer engineering and status as Nigeria’s youngest professor in that field, which positions him to address the board’s most pressing challenges while building on Oloyede’s legacy.

“His appointment as the youngest registrar in JAMB reflects a deliberate strategic choice to place a tech-savvy leader, whose expertise aligns with the urgent operational and technological challenges the board faces.

“He should consolidate on Oloyede’s gains while fixing unaddressed gaps in digital infrastructure, with priority reforms focused on stabilising exam systems, expanding equitable access to digital testing, and modernising admissions workflows for Nigeria’s millions of annual UTME candidates,” he noted.

Besides, Afolayan emphasised that Aina should overhaul JAMB’s technological infrastructure and upgrade core systems to eliminate failures that disrupt UTME examinations, a recurring vulnerability exposed in recent testing cycles.

“With his computer background, he’s uniquely qualified to identify and fix system flaws that previously disrupted exam access for thousands of test-takers.

“Many rural and low-income candidates still face barriers to accessing digital exam resources; Aina should develop affordable offline testing options and expanded registration support to reduce equity gaps,” he said.

Nubi Achebo, director academics planning at Nigerian University of Technology and Management (NUTM), wants the new JAMB registrar to enforce stricter accreditation and real penalties on defaulting CBT managers over quality control.

“Some centres still have power/network issues, malfunctioning PCs, and extortion by “staff”. If a centre ruins 500 students’ exams, delist them permanently,” he said.

Moreover, he called on the new registrar to ensure results are released speedily and accurately.

“Releasing results within 48 hours is great, but missing results and ‘unusual results’ every year damage trust,” he noted.

Some of these prayers are in line with Aina’s mandate. Aina, who officially assumed office on Monday, announced that JAMB would introduce a unified mobile application and transition to a paperless administrative system as part of an ambitious five-year development agenda aimed at strengthening transparency, improving service delivery and positioning the examination body as Africa’s most trusted admissions institution by 2031.

He said the roadmap is designed to build stronger institutional systems, improve operational efficiency and restore public confidence in the examination and admissions process.

According to the new registrar, the development agenda is anchored on what he described as “Project 2:5:7”, a framework comprising two strategic objectives, five institutional pillars and seven flagship initiatives that will drive the board’s transformation over the next five years.

“The agenda is anchored on JAMB’s statutory mandate of providing fair, credible, secure and equitable access to tertiary education through transparent registration, credible assessments and merit-based placement of qualified candidates,” he said.

Other flagship projects include conducting an independent technology review of JAMB’s digital infrastructure, attaining ISO 27001 information security certification, establishing a unified customer service platform, repositioning the board’s brand through strategic communication, and investing in staff welfare and capacity development.

Aina said the reforms would be implemented through five strategic pillars: integrity, service, governance, technology and partnership.

According to him, integrity will remain the foundation of the agenda, with efforts focused on strengthening institutional credibility through internationally recognised standards, independent technology audits and verifiable systems that promote transparency, accountability and public trust.

On service delivery, the registrar said JAMB would prioritise proactive stakeholder engagement and customer-focused service improvements to enhance the experience of candidates and other users of the board’s services.