Professor Is-haq Oloyede is, by all standards, regarded as one of the most influential education administrators in Nigeria today. As a transformational leader who assumed office on August 1, 2016, as the registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, he took it upon himself to introduce necessary and far-reaching reforms aimed at transforming the agency from an institution hitherto remarkable for corruption and inefficiency into one now widely acclaimed for its transparency, accountability, and technological innovation. This year 2026 would mark the end of his second and last tenure as the indefatigable Registrar of the Board, and he would be leaving a legacy of selfless service, prudent management, integrity, and commitment to excellence.
Without a shadow of doubt, Oloyede would bequeathing to his successor a board that has gained a new lease of life through the restoration of public confidence in its operational processes. It would be recalled that prior to his appointment, the hallmarks of the Board were financial leakages, examination malpractice, and irregular admission processes. However, upon taking office, he implemented stringent measures to block corruption and improve accountability. Consequently, under his leadership, JAMB has remitted over N50 billion into Federal Government coffers, a remarkable achievement when contrasted with the paltry sum of N50m that had been remitted by his predecessors through a combination of cost control, prevention of leakages, and financial discipline.
Another major achievement of Oloyede was the modernisation of the Board’s operational processes through the deployment of relevant technology. Chief among these is the strengthening of the Computer-Based Test system as well as the implementation of state-of-the-art security measures to curb examination malpractice. For instance, reported cases of examination malpractice in the 2024 UTME were 123. In 2025, it came down to 85 cases, while that of 2026 showed a further decline to just 52 cases – an eloquent testimony to the sagacity of Oloyede, which he achieved through reduced cases of impersonation, reformed registration procedures and examination processes, among others.
Perhaps his most remarkable achievement could be said to be the introduction of the Central Admissions Processing System, which he introduced in 2017. CAPS has not only transformed the admission process in Nigerian tertiary institutions through the entrenchment of fairness and transparency in the admission process by reducing human interference and ensuring that admission decisions were based on merit, but also that CAPS has restored autonomy to the institutions, especially concerning the admission process. CAPS has, therefore, fostered transparency, openness and accountability in the admission process. The platform also provides for a marketplace where lowly subscribed institutions could conveniently source candidates. The platform also allowed candidates to track their admission status so that they would be able to accept or reject such admissions!
As the vice-chancellor of the University of Ilorin, a position he held prior to his appointment as the Registrar, JAMB, he had distinguished himself through exceptional service to the institution’s academic growth and reputation. These achievements did not go unnoticed, as he was the recipient of several national and international awards.
In a nutshell, Prof. Oloyede has demonstrated exceptional leadership qualities in addition to his many administrative reforms aimed at leaving JAMB a better place than he met it. This is owing to the fact that his tenure is one that was characterised by honesty, discipline, and dedication to public service. This has led many stakeholders in the nation’s education sector to commend him for his uncommon courage in confronting corruption and implementing difficult reforms. Thanks to his immense transformational and impactful leadership, JAMB has become one of the most respected government agencies in Nigeria. His achievements will no doubt continue to serve as a model for effective public administration and educational reform in Nigeria and beyond as attested to by the statement of the Deputy Minister of Education of Sierra Leone, Mr Sarjoh Aziz Kamara, who announced at the just-concluded 2026 Policy Meeting on Admissions held in Abuja that come May 27, 2026, his country would be establishing its indigenous centralised admission management agency modelled after JAMB. Therefore, Oloyede’s legacy would be an abiding testament to the immense power of integrity, visionary leadership, and selfless service to humanity.
- Ampitan writes from Lagos
