President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed Segun Aina, a Professor of Computer Engineering at Obafemi Awolowo University, as the new Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).
Professor Aina will succeed Is-haq Oloyede, whose second term in office is scheduled to end on July 31, 2026.
The appointment was announced in a statement issued by Bayo Onanuga, spokesperson to the President.
According to the Presidency, Professor Aina is a respected academic and systems expert with extensive experience in digital infrastructure, national examination systems, and public-sector reform. President Tinubu is said to expect the new registrar to leverage his expertise and practical knowledge to further strengthen the operations of the examination body.
The statement noted that Aina, who turns 40 in July, became one of Nigeria’s youngest professors of Computer Engineering at the age of 39 and will now make history as the youngest Registrar of JAMB.
Professor Aina holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Computer Systems Engineering from the University of Kent, as well as a Master’s degree in Internet Computing and Network Security and a PhD in Digital Signal Processing from Loughborough University. He also completed the Senior Management Programme at Lagos Business School.
The Presidency disclosed that Aina began his professional journey with JAMB during his National Youth Service, where he gained early exposure to national admissions processes and data-driven institutional systems.
Over the past 15 years, he has worked at the intersection of technology, education policy, and institutional reform, advising both federal and state governments on digital transformation, systems design, and operational efficiency.
He has also served as a consultant to major examination bodies, including the National Examinations Council (NECO), the National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB), and several state ministries of education, providing expertise on ICT systems, examination integrity, and digital process optimisation.
Professor Aina is a member of several professional organisations, including the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), and the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET).
Professor Aina assumes office at a time when JAMB is implementing significant reforms in Nigeria’s tertiary admission system.
The board recently retained the minimum admission cut-off marks for the 2026 admission cycle at 150 for universities and Colleges of Nursing Sciences, while polytechnics will continue to admit candidates with scores from 100 and above.
JAMB also maintained the minimum admission age of 16 years for all tertiary institutions.
In addition, the board announced that candidates seeking admission into Colleges of Education for education and agriculture non-engineering programmes would no longer be required to sit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) beginning from the 2027 admission cycle.
The policy shift, aimed at expanding access to teacher training and agriculture-related programmes, has generated nationwide debate, with opinions divided over its potential impact on academic standards and access to higher education.
