The Nigerian Academy of Education (NAE) has conferred its distinguished honorary fellowship on the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof Is-haq Oloyede, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the nation’s education sector.
The Academy also honoured five eminent Nigerians: legal icon and founder of Afe Babalola University, Chief Afe Babalola (SAN); Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin; former Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu; education strategist, Dr (Mrs) Angela Ajala; and public sector financial management expert, Dr Mohamed Kyari Dikwa.
The conferment formed part of activities marking the 40th anniversary of the Academy and its 39th Annual General Meeting (AGM), held on Thursday, November 6, 2025, at the National Headquarters of the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), Abuja. The event had as its theme “The Contribution of the Nigerian Academy of Education (NAE) to Nigeria’s Education Development.”
During the ceremony, 38 new members were inducted, while six were elevated to the fellowship status of the Academy.
In its citation, the Academy extolled Prof Oloyede as a “multi-talented scholar of Islamics, certified professional teacher, and exemplary administrator” whose reform-driven leadership at both the University of Ilorin and JAMB has redefined institutional governance.
“Prof Oloyede has demonstrated, through his turnaround management of the University of Ilorin (2007 to 2012) and JAMB (2016 to date), what visionary academic leadership can achieve in national transformation,” the Academy stated.
The Academy recalled that the JAMB Registrar is a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Management (FNIM), the Nigerian Society for Peace Studies and Practices (FSPSP), the Islamic Academy of Cambridge, and the Nigerian Academy of Letters (FNAL).
His service, NAE noted, has earned him multiple national recognitions, including Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR, 2014), National Productivity Order of Merit (NPOM, 2019), and Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON, 2022), alongside several professional and institutional awards at home and abroad.
Beyond his current role, Oloyede has served as Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, President of the Association of African Universities (AAU), and Chairman of the Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities (CVC/AVCNU). He currently serves as Secretary General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA).
In his address, NAE President, Prof Kabiru Isyaku, urged the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency in the education sector, warning that persistent neglect threatens national development.
“NAE believes that Nigeria can achieve significant development if the right attention and adequate funding are given to education,” Isyaku said.
He commended recent interventions such as the student loan scheme but stressed the need for deeper reforms, including the adoption of the National Teacher Education Policy (NTEP), professionalisation of teaching, and curbing the proliferation of tertiary institutions.
Goodwill messages were delivered by the Minister of State for Education, represented by Claris Ujam, and the Deputy President of the Senate, represented by Senator Babangida Hussaini.
The highlight of the event was a thought-provoking lecture delivered by one of NAE’s surviving foundation members, Emeritus Professor Pius Augustine Ike (PAI) Obanya, titled “The Contributions of the Nigerian Academy of Education to Nigeria’s Education Development.”
