Segun Aina Takes Over as JAMB Registrar: His Plan So Far

Update, 23 October 2026: Professor Segun Aina has taken office. Oloyede handed over on 31 July 2026, and Aina has published a five-year plan for JAMB. This story has also been corrected: the 2025 UTME inquiry was held by the House of Representatives.

President Bola Tinubu appointed Professor Segun Aina as Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board on 21 May 2026, succeeding Professor Is-haq Oloyede. The announcement came in a statement by presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga, which said Oloyede's term ended on 31 July. BusinessDay reported that Oloyede handed over on Friday 31 July after about ten years.

The presidency described Aina as a "distinguished academic and systems expert" and said Tinubu expects him to take JAMB beyond what his predecessor achieved, as quoted by ICIR.

Who is Segun Aina

Aina is a Professor of Computer Engineering at Obafemi Awolowo University. According to NAN, he first worked with JAMB during his National Youth Service year, holds a Bachelor of Engineering from the University of Kent and an MSc and PhD from Loughborough University, and has advised governments for over 15 years. He has consulted for NECO and NABTEB on ICT systems and examination integrity. He was 39 at appointment and was due to turn 40 in July. The presidency called him the youngest registrar in JAMB's history.

The crisis he inherits

JAMB's credibility took a hit in 2025. In May that year the board admitted that a grading software deployment failure by one of its service providers had distorted results for 379,997 candidates in Lagos and Owerri zones, who had to resit. Oloyede apologised and said he took full responsibility. NAN also reported that over 1.5 million of 1.9 million candidates scored below 200 out of 400. The House of Representatives called for an independent investigation. The outcome of the probe has not been made public.

What Aina has promised since taking office

Techeconomy reported on 4 August that Aina unveiled a plan titled "JAMB 2031: Building Trust, Reducing Trauma", covering 2026 to 2031, with five pillars: integrity, service, governance, technology and partnership. It lists seven flagship initiatives:

1. An independent review of JAMB's technology infrastructure.
2. ISO 27001 information security certification.
3. A unified JAMB mobile app.
4. Rebranding and strategic communication.
5. A unified customer service platform.
6. A paperless digital administration system.
7. Better staff welfare and training.

The report gives no start dates, costs or milestones for individual items. JAMB has not published the JAMB 2031 plan itself; the seven initiatives are as reported by Techeconomy.

What this means for candidates and parents

For anyone preparing for the next UTME, the most relevant promise is the independent technology review and the ISO 27001 target, because the 2025 failure was a software and process failure, not a cheating scandal. A single mobile app and one customer service platform would also help candidates who currently juggle the JAMB portal, email, and social media to fix registration problems. None of this has a delivery date yet, so candidates should keep following official JAMB channels, not third-party agents, for registration and result information.

How to prepare for the 2027 UTME now

JAMB has not announced 2027 registration dates, but candidates can get ready today:

1. Get your NIN sorted. UTME registration requires a National Identification Number, and the details must match your other documents exactly. Our NIN guide covers common fixes.
2. Use only official channels. Watch jamb.gov.ng and JAMB's verified social media accounts. Ignore dates, portals or "special centres" shared by agents.
3. Check your O'Level plan. Make sure your WAEC or NECO result, or the exam you are sitting, covers the subjects your course needs.
4. Practise on a computer. The UTME is computer-based, so timed practice on a screen helps more than paper drills.

READ ALSO: JAMB Opens 2026 Change of Course Portal: Act Now

READ ALSO: NECO is Going Digital. Here is what Nigerian Students Need to know

What changes at JAMB next

• When the review, certification and app will be delivered, and what they will cost.
• Whether the 2027 UTME calendar, fees or format will change under Aina. JAMB has announced nothing yet.
• The outcome of the 2025 House inquiry.

We will update this page when JAMB publishes the 2027 UTME timetable.