70 garlands to a professor of public trust

It was the Greek philosopher, Aristotle, who described a man’s character as consisting of what he does repeatedly.

Impliedly, he says “Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.”

That sums up the life of the Registrar and Chief Executive of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Is-haq Olanrewaju Oloyede, who clocks three scores and 10 today.

At a time when trust has become a scarce commodity and integrity very difficult to find, Prof. Oloyede is being celebrated globally on his special day for modelling both virtues and setting an example on how public trust is earned.

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His ability to apply accountability and probity in every given assignment, agrees with the Aristotelian philosophy that he did not stumble into excellence by accident but as a result of the discipline he imbibed and practiced over the years.

This is in sharp contrast to the conduct of many public office holders in recent times, where the attraction to public office is no longer service but self-aggrandisement with cases of abuse of public trust rippling many sectors.

Prof. Oloyede has been able to make a difference in three major areas:

The first has to do with his record in academic excellence; secondly, his administrative acumen and the third in proven integrity as he effortlessly ticks all the boxes with verdicts that are overwhelmingly positive.

Earlier in life, he stunned the academia with a first class degree in Arabic Language and Literature, then went ahead and obtained a master’s degree in Islamic Studies and a Ph.D in Islamic Jurisprudence.

The speed with which he churned out numerous works that have deepened knowledge and widened scholarship has made him to stand out.

It was not surprising, therefore, when he was promoted to the rank of a professor in less than 15 years after graduation, reinforcing the fact that he is high-flying in his educational pursuit.

He has added to his credit, several books, contributions to journals, conference papers and lectures, which all attest to his erudition and fecundity.

In at least three different assignments, the professor of Islamic studies has shown that it is not the hood that makes the monk and that maintaining such high standard comes to him naturally.

His administrative acumen was noticed globally when he was appointed the vice chancellor of the University of Ilorin in 2007.

It was while he served as the vice chancellor that he cracked a hard nut by turning around the fortunes of the university, improving on its ratings among global universities.

While raising the bar of administration by attaining high standard for the university in both academics and welfare of staff and students, the quantity of innovations to foster researches in human capital development that he introduced stood out.

Prof. Oloyede’s story is however better told as the Registrar and Chief Executive of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), a position he took up on the 9th of August, 2016.

This is where he has proven that public trust can be earned through effective service delivery and that those who distinguished themselves in the academics can practice what they preach about integrity and maintaining high moral standards.

Within few years after his appointment, JAMB, which was known only as a body for conducting exams but with near zero claims to revenue generation, instantly became a major contributor to economic growth through the remittance of billions of naira to the nation’s purse.

The board, which was hitherto remitting pittance to the federal government’s coffers, not exceeding N50 million between 1978 and 2016, remitted N7.8 billion in 2017 while paying operating surplus of N30.3 billion to the federal government in subsequent years.

Prof. Oloyede brought his personal touch to the operation of the board like he did at the University of Ilorin, making it clear that he was there to serve and not to be served. He expanded the scope of administration to improve staff welfare, as well as grants to corporate bodies and institutions.

Knowing the challenges faced by students in the course of gaining admission into tertiary institutions in Nigeria, Prof. Oloyede was able to put in place mechanisms to make the processes less cumbersome but more effective in terms of cost and procedure, which made the federal government to reduce the application fee into tertiary institutions by 30 per cent.

His administration also took on the major problem of exam malpractices which was compromising the integrity of the Board and affecting negatively the quality of graduates produced in the country.

He succeeded in exposing various manners of sharp practices and through that effort, many ‘Miracle Centres’ where students are aided underhand to pass exams were uncovered and closed down. Also, the practice where parents/guardians or other mercenaries are allowed to write exams for their wards was stopped through improvements in the exam invigilating processes.

Needless to add, Prof. Oloyede brought accountability and probity to the Board, making sure that funds are not embezzled but utilised for public good.

This is what has seen him having the resources to carry out assignments effectively, improve the welfare of workers; inject fresh ideas into running the place and embarking on massive infrastructure projects.

He also has given a good account of himself as a leader since his appointment as the Secretary General of the Nigeria Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), where he has carried on with the fine legacies of his predecessors and made the council to retain its credibility by ensuring the observation of Islamic morality.

He is a Fellow of the Islamic Academy of Cambridge, United Kingdom; Academy of Entrepreneurship; Nigerian Institute of Management; Institute of Arabic and Islamic Studies; Association of Islamic Religious Studies and a Fellow, Nigerian Academy of Letters. 

He has won many laurels which include the Arab League Prize for Best Final Year Certificate Student in Islamic Studies from the University of Ibadan in 1977 and the Federal Government’s Undergraduate Merit Award (University of Ilorin) in 1981. He is a recipient of two national honours: Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR), 2014 and Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON), 2022. 

In a congrarulatory message to mark the day President Bola Tinubu described Professor Oloyede as an astute administrator, educator, author, and scholar, currently the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) Registrar.

He said as the former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof. Oloyede’s invaluable contributions to the nation through academia and public-sector administration have significantly impacted the academic community.

“His impactful tenure at the University of Ilorin, during which he introduced landmark ideas and innovations that helped the institution attain enviable heights, is on record.

“Through patriotic dedication and commitment to his craft, Prof Oloyede imparted knowledge and character to thousands of students who underwent his teaching during his glorious and impactful academic career.

“Developing nations, including Nigeria, are in dire need of more scholars like Prof. Oloyede. His selfless sacrifices and innovative approaches to learning and leadership give hope for a brighter future,’’ the President said. 

He said Prof. Oloyede made a remarkable and transformative leadership at JAMB by pioneering and sustaining a series of reforms and technological innovations that have made the admission process in Nigeria transparent and credible.

“In his eight years of stewardship at the board, thus far, Prof. Oloyede has demonstrated an uncommon commitment to financial integrity and accountability in public service. He has also raised the bar in administration and management.

“I am proud of Prof. Oloyede’s accomplishments. 

 “On this occasion of his 70th birthday, I join members of the academic community, students, JAMB staff, and well-wishers in celebrating this scholar who, in words and deeds, has also done a lot to propagate the Islamic religion.

“I pray that Almighty Allah will continue to honour the distinguished professor with health, wisdom and strength to serve the nation for many more years.’’