The digital transformation of Nigeria’s tertiary admissions system entered a new chapter on Friday with the appointment of Professor Segun Aina as Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).
Aina succeeds Professor Is-haq Oloyede, whose second and final five-year tenure ended on July 31, closing a decade that transformed JAMB into one of Nigeria’s most technologically advanced government agencies through computer-based testing, enhanced transparency and improved revenue management.
The appointment by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu places a computer engineering scholar with extensive expertise in digital systems, cybersecurity and examination technology at the centre of an institution that processes millions of tertiary admission applications annually and plays a pivotal role in Nigeria’s human capital development.
Speaking after assuming office, Aina described his appointment as a call to national service and pledged to strengthen institutional integrity through technology, accountability and strict enforcement against examination malpractice.
He declared zero tolerance for operators of compromised Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres and other individuals involved in examination fraud, saying the Board would intensify the deployment of technological, administrative and investigative tools to detect and prosecute offenders.
“I assure Mr. President, and indeed everyone in Nigeria, that I shall discharge this responsibility with integrity, fairness, diligence and an unwavering commitment to the public good.
“To those who organise examination malpractice and those who compromise CBT centres, hear me clearly. Your business is with the wrong institution. JAMB will continue to deploy every lawful, technological, administrative and investigative measure available to detect, deter and prosecute examination malpractice,” Aina said.Â
The renewed emphasis on technology comes at a time when examination bodies worldwide are increasingly investing in artificial intelligence, biometric verification, cybersecurity and data analytics to combat sophisticated forms of academic fraud and protect the credibility of public examinations.
Aina’s professional background aligns closely with that agenda.
A Professor of Computer Engineering at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, he has spent decades working at the intersection of engineering, digital infrastructure and educational assessment systems.
His relationship with JAMB dates back to his National Youth Service, after which he went on to provide consultancy services for several national examination agencies, including the National Examinations Council (NECO) and the National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB), contributing to projects focused on examination integrity, systems optimisation and digital transformation.
Aina holds a bachelor’s degree in Computer Systems Engineering from the University of Kent, United Kingdom, a master’s degree in Internet Computing and Network Security, and a doctorate in Digital Signal Processing from Loughborough University.
He has also completed the Senior Management Programme at Lagos Business School and belongs to 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).
