The Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria (MSSN) has honoured former Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Is-haq Oloyede, describing his decade-long leadership of the examination body as an example of integrity and accountable public service.
The society hosted a civic reception for Mr Oloyede on Tuesday under the theme, “The Oloyede Blueprint: Integrity, Innovation, and Accountability in Public Service.”
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The event brought together students, friends, associates and well-wishers of the professor emeritus, who praised his contributions to JAMB and the wider Nigerian public service.
The guests said Mr Oloyede’s tenure at JAMB helped strengthen transparency, accountability and public confidence in the tertiary admission system.
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Mr Oloyede, who is also Secretary-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), was congratulated on completing his tenure as JAMB registrar.
The Chairman of the Local Organising Committee, Muzammil Hanga, said Mr Oloyede’s conduct in public office reflected the Islamic principle of amanah, which he described as the treatment of public office as a trust rather than an opportunity for personal gain.
Mr Hanga said the society was proud of Mr Oloyede, whom he described as a distinguished alumnus of MSSN and a member of the society’s Board of Trustees.
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“His life reflects many of the values MSSN seeks to cultivate in Nigerian students and young Muslims. We are therefore proud of his achievements and deeply grateful for his contributions to MSSN, the Muslim Ummah and Nigeria,” he said.
The National Amir of MSSN, Mutapha Olumide, said the reception was organised to celebrate Mr Oloyede as a scholar, administrator and public servant whose career had been marked by integrity, innovation and accountability.
Mr Olumide said Mr Oloyede’s career demonstrated that ethical leadership could produce measurable changes in public institutions.
“At JAMB, he again demonstrated how technology, ingenuity, transparency, efficiency and accountability can transform a public institution,” he said.
He cited Mr Oloyede’s tenure as vice-chancellor of the University of Ilorin and his leadership of JAMB as examples of how innovation and responsible leadership could improve institutions.
Mr Olumide said Mr Oloyede’s record showed that integrity should be regarded as an asset in public service rather than an obstacle to achieving results.
He urged public officials to learn from the former JAMB registrar’s example, saying the consequences of decisions made in public office could extend beyond the tenure of individual office holders.
“The true measure of leadership is not the privileges enjoyed in office, but the institutions strengthened, the lives improved, and the systems left better than they were found,” he said.
Mr Olumide added that Nigeria needed more public officials who viewed institutions as trusts to be protected rather than avenues for personal enrichment.
Oloyede’s career
Born in Abeokuta, Ogun State, on 10 October 1954, Mr Oloyede began his formal education at Ta’limul Islam Ahmadiya Primary School before proceeding to Progress Institute, Agege.
He later studied at the Arabic Training Centre, Agege, and the University of Ibadan, where he obtained a certificate in Arabic and Islamic Studies.
He proceeded to the University of Ilorin in 1978 and graduated with first-class honours in 1981. He subsequently joined the university as an assistant lecturer and obtained his master’s degree in 1985 and his doctorate in 1991.
He became a professor of Islamic Jurisprudence in 1995 and was made professor emeritus in 2025.
Mr Oloyede also held several senior positions in the university system, including director of academic planning, deputy vice-chancellor and vice-chancellor of the University of Ilorin.
As vice-chancellor, he introduced computer-based testing at the university in 2008, an innovation that was later adopted by several institutions, including JAMB, according to the biography presented at the event.
He also served as national coordinator and executive secretary of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC), and held leadership positions in several university and international academic associations.
Ten years at JAMB
Mr Oloyede served as JAMB registrar from 2016 to 2026.
The organisers credited him with transforming the operations of the examination body through the use of technology and improved management practices.
According to the biography presented at the reception, JAMB remitted close to N8 billion to the government within a year of his assumption of office, compared with less than N50 million remitted over the preceding 40 years.
The organisers said his performance earned commendations from the Presidency and National Assembly.
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Mr Oloyede has received several national and international honours, including the Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON), National Productivity Order of Merit (NIPOM) and UNESCO’s 2022 award for Best Advocate of Equal Opportunity in Higher Education in Africa.
He is also a former deputy secretary-general and the current secretary-general of the NSCIA.
He has authored, co-authored and edited numerous academic works in religion, Islamic studies, peace studies, education and jurisprudence. Several books and festschrifts have also been published in his honour.
Among those who attended the reception were former Kano State Governor Ibrahim Shekarau, former Minister of Communications Adebayo Shittu and former Minister of Agriculture Abdulrahman Ahmad.
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