Tinubu appoints 39-year-old Prof Segun Aina as new JAMB registrar

By Bukola Hameed

​President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed thirty-nine-year-old Professor of Computer Engineering, Segun Aina, as the new Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board.

The historic appointment, which makes Aina the youngest registrar in the history of the admissions body, was announced on Thursday in a statement issued by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.

Aina is scheduled to succeed Professor Is-haq Oloyede, whose second and final tenure will officially expire on July 31, 2026.

​According to the presidency, the incoming registrar, who turns forty in July, is expected to build on the significant achievements recorded under Oloyede’s administration and further strengthen the operations of the nation’s admissions body through his specialized expertise in technology and institutional reforms.

President Tinubu expressed high expectations for the new appointee, noting that Professor Aina is expected to deploy his vast experience, academic knowledge, and practical insight to take the critical educational organization beyond the laudable heights achieved by his predecessor.

​Professor Aina currently lectures in the Department of Computer Engineering at the Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife. He is widely recognized as a systems expert with extensive professional experience in national examination architectures, digital infrastructure, and public-sector institutional reform.

His academic journey includes a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Computer Systems Engineering from the University of Kent, followed by a Master’s degree in Internet Computing and Network Security, and a doctorate in Digital Signal Processing, both from Loughborough University in the United Kingdom. He also completed the Senior Management Programme at the Lagos Business School.

​Interestingly, his professional relationship with the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board dates back to his National Youth Service Corps period, where he first worked with the organization and gained foundational experience in national admissions processes and data-driven systems. Over the past fifteen years, Aina has operated continuously at the intersection of technology, policy, and institutional transformation, providing key advisory services to both federal and state governments on digital transitions and large-scale system reforms.

​Before his historic appointment to lead the board, Aina became one of Nigeria’s youngest professors of Computer Engineering. He has previously served as a technical consultant to other prominent national examination bodies, including the National Examinations Council and the National Business and Technical Examinations Board, where he offered expertise in information and communications technology systems, examination integrity, and digital process optimization.

He is also a registered member of several elite professional bodies, 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.