MSSN Celebrates Oloyede, Highlights His JAMB Achievements

The Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria (MSSN) has honoured Is-haq Oloyede, the former Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB). They praised his ten years of leadership at JAMB as a sign of integrity and good public service.

The society organised a civic reception for Oloyede on Tuesday. The theme was, “The Oloyede Blueprint: Integrity, Innovation, and Accountability in Public Service.”

The event attracted students, friends, colleagues, and supporters of the professor emeritus. They praised his input to JAMB and the broader Nigerian public service.

Guests said Oloyede’s time at JAMB boosted transparency, accountability, and public trust in the admission process for universities.

Oloyede, who is also the Secretary-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), was congratulated for finishing his time as JAMB registrar.

Muzammil Hanga, Chairman of the Local Organising Committee, said Oloyede’s actions in public office showed the Islamic principle of amanah. This means treating public office as a trust, not a chance to gain personal benefits.

Hanga expressed pride in Oloyede, calling him a distinguished alumnus of MSSN and a member of the society’s Board of Trustees. “His life reflects many of the values MSSN seeks to cultivate in Nigerian students and young Muslims. We are proud of his achievements and thankful for his contributions to MSSN, the Muslim Ummah, and Nigeria,” he said.

Mutapha Olumide, the National Amir of MSSN, said the reception aimed to honour Oloyede as a scholar, administrator, and public servant known for integrity, innovation, and accountability.

Olumide stated that Oloyede's career shows that ethical leadership can bring real changes to public institutions. “At JAMB, he again showed how technology, ingenuity, transparency, efficiency, and accountability can transform a public institution,” he said.

He pointed to Oloyede’s time as vice-chancellor of the University of Ilorin and his leadership at JAMB as proof that innovation and responsible leadership can improve institutions.

Olumide said Oloyede’s record shows that integrity should be seen as a strength in public service, not a barrier to success. He urged public officials to learn from Oloyede’s example. He reminded them that the effects of decisions made in public office can last beyond the time individual office holders serve.

“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.

He added that Nigeria needs more public officials who see institutions as trusts to protect, not just ways to enrich themselves.

Born in Abeokuta, Ogun State, on 10 October 1954, Oloyede began school at Ta’limul Islam Ahmadiya Primary School and later attended Progress Institute in Agege.

He then studied at the Arabic Training Centre in Agege and the University of Ibadan, where he got a certificate in Arabic and Islamic Studies. He went to the University of Ilorin in 1978 and graduated with first-class honours in 1981.

After that, he joined the university as an assistant lecturer, earning his master’s degree in 1985 and his doctorate in 1991. He became a professor of Islamic Jurisprudence in 1995 and was made a professor emeritus in 2025.

Oloyede also held several senior roles in the university, including director of academic planning, deputy vice-chancellor, and vice-chancellor of the University of Ilorin.

As vice-chancellor, he introduced computer-based testing in 2008, which many institutions, including JAMB, later adopted, as mentioned in the biography shared at the event.

Oloyede also served as national coordinator and executive secretary of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) and held leadership roles in various university and international academic associations.

He was the JAMB registrar from 2016 to 2026. The organisers credited him with changing how the examination body operated by using technology and better management.

The biography shared at the reception noted that JAMB sent nearly N8 billion to the government within a year after he took office. This was a huge jump from the less than N50 million sent in the previous 40 years.

His work earned praise from the Presidency and the National Assembly. Oloyede has received many national and international awards. These include 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. Oloyede has written or worked on many academic pieces in religion, Islamic studies, peace studies, education, and jurisprudence. Many books and festschrifts have also been published in his honour.