Is-haq Oloyede

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Ishaq Olarewaju Oloyede CON FNAL (born 10 October 1954) is a Nigerian professor of Islamic Studies. He is the Registrar and Chief Executive of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), a position he has held since August 1, 2016. He also serves as the Secretary General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) since May 2013. Earlier, he was the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin from 2007 to 2012.

Early life and education
He was born in Abeokuta, Ogun State. He attended the Progressive Institute in Agege, Lagos (1969–1973). He studied Arabic and Islamic Studies at the Arabic Training Centre in Agege (1973–1976). He earned a certificate in Arabic and Islamic Studies from the University of Ibadan in 1977 and a BA in Arabic from the University of Ilorin in 1981. He began his academic career as an Assistant Lecturer in the Department of Religions at the University of Ilorin in 1982. He earned his PhD in Islamic Studies from the University of Ilorin in 1991 and became a professor in 1995.

Career and roles
Oloyede has held many national and international positions. He was President of the Association of African Universities (2009–2011), Deputy Chairman of the Governing Board of the International Association of Universities (IAU) (2008–2011), and Secretary-General of the Association of West African Universities (AWAU) (2013–2017). He served as Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Fountain University in 2015. He was Co-Secretary of Nigeria’s National Political Reform Conference in 2005 and a consultant to the National Universities Commission on Educational Reforms in 2006. He became the National Coordinator and Executive Secretary of the National Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) in 2007.

Public image
Since his appointment to JAMB, he has been praised for moving the board toward greater transparency and accountability. In May 2025, he publicly apologized for exam result glitches that affected many UTME candidates in Lagos and parts of the South-East, impacting about 379,997 candidates.