Ex-JAMB Registrar Oloyede reflects on decade in office, cites lower UTME costs, transparency reforms

The immediate past Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Is-haq Oloyede, has reflected on his decade in office, saying the board became more transparent, technology-driven and accountable while improving staff welfare and reducing the cost of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

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Mr Oloyede made the remarks on Friday during the handover ceremony to the new JAMB Registrar, Segun Aina, at the board’s headquarters in Bwari, Abuja.

Having assumed office in August 2016, Mr Oloyede completed a decade as registrar before handing over to Mr Aina. He said his administration was guided by five core priorities: welfare, discipline, technology, transparency and networking.

His predecessor, Dibu Ojerinde, who served as JAMB registrar between 2007 and 2016, is currently standing trial over multiple alleged corruption charges relating to his tenure.

Welfare and institutional reforms

In a copy of his farewell speech obtained by PREMIUM TIMES, Mr Oloyede said the board invested more than N8 billion to strengthen employees’ retirement savings, introduce a 13th-month salary, and increase examination duty incentives from 10 per cent to 20 per cent.

He added that JAMB also provided free transportation and meals for some staff and supported employees facing serious medical challenges.

“We also intervened in the medical treatment of staff, with a single staff member getting a sum of N12 million for his treatment at the National Hospital,” he said.

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“We rewarded exceptional staff with cash and awards while we named a JAMB Zonal Office and a complex of PTC/PRCs after a staff member, demonstrating that hard work and resilience would not go unacknowledged.”

Although some of the welfare initiatives attracted legislative scrutiny, he said the board remained committed to the programmes because a motivated workforce was critical to fulfilling its mandate.

Lower UTME costs, technology and transparency

Mr Oloyede said JAMB reduced the cost of UTME application forms by 30 per cent during his tenure while expanding support for candidates living with disabilities by sponsoring them and their guides to examination centres and refunding their application fees.

He also said the board introduced the National Tertiary Admissions Performance-Merit (NATAPM) Award, through which about N750 million is distributed annually to tertiary institutions.

According to him, technology was central to the board’s transformation. He highlighted the expansion of the Computer-Based Test (CBT), the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS), biometric verification, CCTV surveillance, digital payment systems and the Remote Authoring and Moderation System (RAMS) as key reforms introduced during his administration.

Mr Oloyede said CAPS significantly improved transparency in the admissions process by allowing candidates to monitor admissions decisions and making it more difficult to manipulate them.

He added that JAMB now routinely publishes details of its operations, including expenditure, in its weekly JAMB Bulletin.

“Transparency goes beyond the material, and it involves the admission process itself. With a system like CAPS, which is deemed revolutionary, admissions into our institutions are transparent, and anyone can question why a candidate is not admitted despite meriting it,” he said.

“The syndrome of ‘under-the-table’ admissions has been confined to antiquity, and this actually brings relief to all stakeholders because the records would be glaring to implicate anyone who circumvents laid-down procedure. My belief is that transparency, which is about ensuring that honest, accurate and accessible information is available even before asking, transforms institutions by eliminating toxic silos.”

Discipline and lessons from technology

Despite expanding staff welfare, Mr Oloyede said the board maintained a strict disciplinary culture throughout his tenure.

He disclosed that more than 10 members of staff were prosecuted over alleged misconduct, stressing that welfare could not come at the expense of accountability.

While describing technology as the backbone of JAMB’s reforms, the former registrar acknowledged that it also has limitations.

READ ALSO: New JAMB registrar unveils five-pillar reform agenda

He recalled last year’s technical glitch that affected the results of more than 300,000 candidates, saying the incident served as a reminder that no technological system is infallible.

“What happened last year, which made me emotional, was proof that technology has its limits, just like everything human, and eternal vigilance is the price of liberty,” he said.

Confidence in successor

Mr Oloyede expressed confidence that his successor would consolidate the gains made over the past decade.

He said the institution now has a dedicated workforce, stronger systems and an enduring culture of integrity.

“As I hand over the leadership of this great institution, I do so with absolute confidence in its future. The Board is blessed with a dedicated workforce, robust institutional systems and an enduring culture of integrity,” he said.

He urged stakeholders to support the incoming registrar rather than dwell on his own achievements.

“There is no success without a successor, and they should rather support and pray for Prof. Aina’s success at this point. It is time to face the future with renewed vigour.”