By Ishola Balogun After ten eventful years at the helm of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Professor Is-haq Olanrewaju Oloyede on Friday formally handed over the leadership of Nigeria’s foremost admissions agency to Professor Segun Aina, bringing to a close a tenure widely associated with sweeping institutional reforms, technological innovation, financial transparency and renewed public confidence in the nation’s tertiary admissions process. Read Also: 25 children from Kebbi, Kwara, Niger died in terrorists’ captivity — Lawmaker Speaking at the handover ceremony held at JAMB’s National Headquarters in Bwari, Abuja, Prof. Oloyede described the occasion as both a moment of gratitude and reflection, declaring that whatever achievements were recorded during his stewardship were products of divine grace and collective effort rather than personal accomplishment. “It is with a profound sense of gratitude to the Almighty Allah and immense appreciation to all people of goodwill that I address this distinguished audience today,” he said. “I return all glory to Almighty Allah, whose boundless mercy, wisdom and grace sustained me throughout these remarkable ten years. Through periods of daunting challenges, difficult policy decisions and far-reaching institutional reforms, His guidance remained my greatest source of strength. Whatever accomplishments have been recorded during this period are not mine alone; they are manifestations of His infinite favour and blessings.” The outgoing Registrar recalled that when he assumed office on August 9, 2016, he deliberately chose the theme, “Let’s Do It Together,” believing that no institution could succeed without collaboration. “I had no illusion right from the outset that I would depend on God’s guidance and people’s support,” he said. “Doing it together means that many colours make a rainbow and many flowers make a garden.” A decade built on five pillars Reflecting on his stewardship, Prof. Oloyede said his administration was anchored on five cardinal principles—staff welfare, discipline, technology, transparency and networking—which became the foundation of JAMB’s transformation. “When I took over the mandate of leadership at JAMB, I outlined five cardinal points that my administration would be anchored on… In these five, though perfection belongs to the Almighty Allah, I can confidently say we tried our best.” Welfare before productivity He explained that his administration invested heavily in staff welfare, arguing that no institution could outperform the people who run it. Among the initiatives introduced were timely promotions, improved work environments, rehabilitation and construction of offices nationwide, over N8 billion contributed to staff retirement savings, retirement benefits ranging between N3 million and N10 million, the introduction of a 13th-month salary, examination duty allowances increased from 10 to 20 per cent, free daily meals, transport support for key operational staff and medical interventions, including N12 million approved for the treatment of a staff member at the National Hospital. Exceptional staff were rewarded with cash prizes and awards, while one zonal office and a Professional Test Centre complex were named after a deserving employee. “We stood by our decision because without dedicated and motivated staff, we won’t achieve the JAMB that Nigeria deserves,” he declared. Beyond staff welfare, he said candidates also benefited from reforms, including a 30 per cent reduction in the UTME application cost and comprehensive support for candidates with special needs through sponsorship, accommodation, feeding and refund of application fees. The Board also extended institutional support through the National Tertiary Admissions Performance Merit (NATAPM) Award, disbursing approximately ¦ 750 million annually to tertiary institutions. Discipline without compromise While investing in welfare, Oloyede maintained that discipline remained non-negotiable. “It is said that the first law in heaven is discipline and indiscipline is the mother of all evils.” According to him, more than ten staff members faced prosecution over allegations of misconduct during his tenure. He recalled the widely publicised case involving the infamous claim that a snake swallowed ¦ 36 million, describing it as one of the disciplinary measures undertaken to restore accountability. “The sensationalised case of a snake gulping N36 million that the media feasted on was just one of the measures taken to entrench discipline,” he said, recalling that even the EFCC had remarked at the time that “an eagle shows no mercy for money-swallowing snakes.” He added that the insistence on discipline accounted for JAMB’s consistent remittance of billions of naira in operational surpluses to the Fede
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