Segun Aina: Young tech professor, ushering new era for JAMB

With the recent appointment of Professor Segun Aina as the new registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), a new era is about debuting in the examination body.

The development is also marking what many observers describe as a bold generational shift in the leadership of Nigeria’s tertiary admissions body.

Aina will succeed Professor Is-haq Oloyede, whose second tenure as JAMB’s registrar, ends on July 31, 2026, after nearly a decade of reforms that transformed the examination agency into one of Nigeria’s most financially transparent and technologically driven institutions.

The appointment was announced on Thursday by Bayo Onanuga, presidential spokesman, as part of President Tinubu’s continuing reshuffle and reforms across agencies in the education sector.

At 40, Aina is set to become the youngest registrar in JAMB’s history, a development that has already generated discussions within Nigeria’s education and technology communities about the future direction of the examination body.

A tech expert taking over a critical institution

Professor Aina is a professor of Computer Engineering at Obafemi Awolowo University and is widely regarded as a specialist in digital systems, examination technologies, cybersecurity, and institutional reforms.

Read also: Meet Segun Aina, 39-year-old Professor appointed new JAMB registrar

His appointment comes at a critical time for JAMB, which has increasingly relied on technology-driven systems to conduct the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), monitor examination malpractice, and process admissions across Nigerian universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education.

Education stakeholders believe his background in ICT infrastructure and digital transformation could strengthen JAMB’s ongoing transition into a fully technology-powered examination body.

Strong international academic background

Aina studied Computer Systems Engineering at the University of Kent, where he earned his Bachelor of Engineering degree.

He later proceeded to Loughborough University, obtaining both an MSc in Internet Computing and Network Security and a PhD in Digital Signal Processing.

Beyond engineering and research, he also attended the Senior Management Programme at Lagos Business School, a credential seen as equipping him with administrative and leadership capacity for managing a national institution like JAMB.

JAMB experience started during NYSC

According to information released by the presidency, Aina’s relationship with JAMB dates back to his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme, where he first worked with the examination body and gained practical exposure to Nigeria’s admission management system.

The early experience reportedly influenced his interest in educational data systems, institutional efficiency, and examination reforms.

Sources within the education sector say his familiarity with JAMB’s operational framework could ease his transition into office when he officially assumes leadership later this year.

Extensive work across Nigeria’s education sector

Over the years, Aina has consulted for several major examination and education agencies, including the National Examinations Council and the National Business and Technical Examinations Board.

His work has largely focused on examination integrity, digital migration, cybersecurity systems, and operational reforms within public institutions.

He is also affiliated with several professional organisations, 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.

Big expectations ahead

Aina’s appointment comes amid growing pressure on examination bodies to improve transparency, reduce technical glitches, and strengthen the credibility of public examinations in Nigeria.

Under Oloyede’s leadership, JAMB became known for aggressive anti-malpractice policies, remittance transparency, and expanded use of computer-based testing. Analysts say Aina will now be expected to consolidate those reforms while introducing more advanced technological innovations into the examination process.

The Tinubu administration has recently carried out several appointments across education agencies as part of efforts to reposition institutions under the Federal Ministry of Education.