The immediate past Registrar of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Ishaq Oloyede, has said the cost of registering for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) must increase, despite the political pressure such a decision could create for his successor, Segun Aina.

Mr Oloyede, a professor of Islamic Studies, made the remark on Friday at a formal handover ceremony, where he transferred leadership of the board to Mr Aina, a professor of Computer Engineering.

“I pity the incoming registrar, because people will praise me and say Oloyede reduced JAMB registration fee, but if he increases the fee, even by one kobo, people will call him out for it. But JAMB must increase its registration fee,” Mr Oloyede said.

He linked the proposed increase to rising transportation and logistics costs. He said the Federal Government had approved an increase in the Basic Travel Allowance (BTA) paid per kilometre to officials on assignment, which would take effect on 1 October this year.

“For a director to go to Lagos on assignment, now maybe it costs N500,000 to N600,000, but from 1st October, it will increase to N800,000, because we rely heavily on transportation and logistics to conduct examinations. And the government who made the policy won’t give you the money, all these costs will add up to JAMB,” he said.

In January, JAMB said it had not raised UTME or Direct Entry (DE) fees in nine years and ruled out an increase for the 2026 registration exercise, except where necessary to protect the integrity of the examination.

Again in February, the Board dismissed reports of a fee hike as false, saying the fees had remained unchanged since 2019: N7,200 for UTME registration without the mock examination, N8,700 with the mock examination, and N5,700 for Direct Entry.

10 years of reform

Mr Oloyede used his farewell speech to reflect on his 10-year tenure, which began in 2016. He named four of his predecessors as JAMB registrar: Michael Angulu (1977- 1986), Muhammad Mustapha (1986 – 1996), Bello Salim (1996 – 2006) and Dibu Ojerinde (2007 – 2016). 

He said his administration anchored its work on five cardinal principles: welfare, discipline, technology, transparency and networking.

On staff welfare, he said JAMB committed N1 billion annually over the past three years to strengthen employees’ retirement savings, paid retirement benefits of between N3 million and N10 million to retired staff, and introduced an examination-duty incentive that began at 10 per cent and was later increased to 20 per cent.

He also said the Board covered staff medical treatment, including a case in which a staff member received as much as N12 million for treatment at the National Hospital.

For candidates, Mr Oloyede said JAMB reduced the cost of UTME applications by 30 per cent and sponsored candidates with special needs.

He acknowledged the governing board, directors, state coordinators, staff and the two staff unions – the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) and the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) for what he described as constructive engagement during his tenure.

He also thanked state governments, the Federal Ministry of Education, the National Universities Commission (NUC), the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), the National Examinations Council (NECO) and security agencies for their support.

No regrets over Mmesoma saga

During the handover ceremony, Mr Oloyede responded to questions about the examination-fraud case, involving Mmesoma Ejikeme, found to have altered her 2023 UTME result.

He said he had no regrets about JAMB’s handling of the matter.

“We know that Mmesoma was our daughter who misbehaved and the nation dealt with her. It was like a parent dealing with his or her child. If I say regret, it was regret that she did what she did because she is part of us,” he said.

He added that the punishment imposed was later reviewed.

Aina pledges to protect JAMB’s integrity

In his acceptance speech, Mr Aina thanked the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, and the Minister of State for Education, Suwaiba Ahmed, for their support.

He paid tribute to past JAMB registrars, including the pioneer registrar, Mohamed Mustapha, Bello Salim, Dibu Ojerinde and Mr Oloyede. He also thanked Mr Oloyede for the manner in which he conducted the transition.

Mr Aina said he first entered JAMB nearly 20 years ago as a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member and never imagined that he would return as registrar.

He listed integrity as the first commitment of his administration and warned those involved in examination malpractice, credential forgery, compromise of Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres, cybercrime, extortion and bribery that JAMB would continue to work with law-enforcement and security agencies to detect and prosecute offenders.

“Your business is with the wrong institution,” Mr Aina said, addressing those who seek to undermine the integrity of the examination process.

He also promised to reduce the stress experienced by candidates and their parents, saying every interaction with JAMB should leave a customer more informed, respected and less anxious.

Addressing JAMB staff, Mr Aina described them as colleagues rather than subordinates. He said the credibility of the Board should rest not on one individual but on its systems, values and people.

He described Vice Chancellors, Directors and Provosts of tertiary institutions as partners who share responsibility for Nigeria’s young people. He extended the same message to sister agencies, including the NUC and NBTE, as well as development partners and the private sector.

He closed by reaffirming JAMB’s commitment to protecting the integrity of its examinations and thanking parents, guardians and staff for their trust.

About Segun Aina

An accomplished Computer Engineer, academic and entrepreneur, Mr Aina was appointed a professor at the age of 39 by OAU, becoming one of the youngest professors in his field in Nigeria.

A distinguished scholar, he obtained his Bachelor of Engineering (BEng) in Computer Systems Engineering from the University of Kent, United Kingdom, in 2008, followed by a Master of Science (MSc) in Internet Computing and Network Security from Loughborough University in 2009.

Mr Aina earned his doctorate (PhD) in Digital Signal Processing, also from Loughborough University.

Beyond academia, in 2010, Mr Aina co-founded Fluid Click Solutions Ltd, an IT services and engineering project management company, as part of his efforts to translate research into real-world solutions. The company’s interests span EduTech, Agriculture, Hospitality, Capacity Building, and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).

He had also earlier served as a member of the pioneer Governing Council of Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science and Technology, Ikere, Ekiti, and as Chairman of the Advisory Board of Queensland Academy, Isolo, Lagos.

He is a member of several professional bodies, including the Nigerian Computer Society (NCS), Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

In his hometown, Mr Aina serves as the National Financial Secretary of the Otan Ayegbaju Progressive Union (OAPU).