Professor Is-haq Olanrewaju Oloyede, OFR, CON, distinguished scholar, administrator and exemplary public servant, is 70 today, Thursday, October 10, 2024. Oloyede, a highly decorated Islamic scholar, jurist and cleric, is the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB.

If you ask any discerning Nigerian why his country is backward instead of occupying its rightful place at the top in Africa and beyond, they will blame it on three factors: poor/bad leadership, corruption and lack of willingess or capacity to faithfully implement policies and plans. Prof Oloyede in his over 40 years of public service, has demonstrated sound leadership, capacity and integrity, and thus made the difference wherever he has found himself.

Before his appointment as JAMB’s Registrar on August 9, 2016 by former President Muhammadu Buhari, Oloyede was known more for his outspoken and strong views as an Islamic scholar and activist. Indeed, many worried Nigerians read conspiratorial meanings into his appointment, especially given Buhari’s perceived religious and sectional tendencies.

However, within one year, Oloyede’s administration at JAMB started making the news – surprisingly good news. JAMB is not a revenue yielding agency of government. Oloyede revamped the operations of the Board, recharged its work ethics and motivated the staff for efficient service delivery. Between 1978 and 2016, JAMB had only remitted a miserly cumulative sum of N50 million to the coffers of the Federal Government. But within one year, JAMB remitted N7.8bn. Between 2016 and date, the Board under Oloyede has remitted N30.3bn.

JAMB’s internal reforms which greatly improved the internally generated revenue capacity of the agency not only afforded it to offer special allowances to staff but also enabled it to give grants to some corporate bodies to the tune of over N17bn. Due to Oloyede’s reforms, the Federal Government has been able to reduce JAMB application fees by 30 per cent.

Oloyede is a first class graduate of Arabic Language and Literature from the University of Ilorin in 1981; and also holds a Master’s degree in Islamic Studies and PhD in Islamic Jurisprudence. His academic achievements include Fellow of the Islamic Academy, Cambridge, the UK; Fellow, Academy of Entrepreneurship and Fellow, Nigerian Institute of Management.

As a university administrator, he has served in many distinguished academic organisations in Nigeria, Africa and the Commonwealth, including President, Association of African Universities. Oloyede was appointed Co-Secretary of the Nigerian Political Reform Conference (2006) and also Board Member of the 2014 National Political Conference.

Prof Oloyede, between 2007 and 2018, led the Nigerian Inter-Religious Council, NIREC, and is the current Secretary General of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, NSCIA. He has won many merit-based awards.

We appreciate Prof Oloyede, a Vanguard Newspapers exemplary public service award winner, for his services to the nation, and wish him many more happy birthdays.