Following his historic appointment by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the newly minted Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Professor Segun Aina, has been urged to champion a new era of inclusive testing for candidates with neurodiverse needs.
The call was made during the World Inclusion Conference held on May 29, 2026, where delegates celebrated the transition of leadership at the examination board. Speaking on Ekiti State’s groundbreaking strides in disability inclusion, the state's delegation, led by Princess Adetoun Agboola, the Special Adviser on Special Education and Social Inclusion, formally extended congratulations to Prof. Aina, expressing strong optimism that his administration will widen the path of accessibility for underserved students.
"Our appreciation goes to JAMB under the outgoing leadership of Prof. Is-haq Oloyede for pioneering the Equal Opportunity Exams for children with disabilities," Princess Agboola noted on behalf of the delegation. "As we welcome the incoming Registrar, Prof. Aina, we believe that children with neurodiversity will now be fully included in examination accommodations."
Prof. Segun Aina, a distinguished Professor of Computer Engineering from Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, is stepping into the role at 39 years old, making him the youngest Registrar in the history of the examination board. He will succeeds Professor Oloyede, whose transformational ten-year tenure concludes at the end of July.
The Presidency has expressed immense confidence in Aina's capability to deploy his advanced expertise in digital infrastructure and examination systems to build on past achievements.
The appeal from Ekiti State highlights an urgent national demand: extending standard test accommodations, such as modified timeframes and specialized access arrangements, to accommodate neurodiverse conditions like autism, ADHD, and dyslexia.
The challenge to JAMB's new leadership comes on the heels of major educational reforms within Ekiti State. Driven by intentional policy and an aggressive overhaul of its public special schools, the state has recorded a 30% increase in student performance across major national examinations, including WAEC, NECO, and JAMB.
"Inclusion without action is just a slogan. When a government decides that persons with disabilities matter, classrooms change and children dream bigger," Agboola emphasized.
With the incoming Registrar expected to fully assume duties ahead of the next academic cycle, secondary education stakeholders nationwide are watching closely to see how the young systems expert will leverage technology to create a more equitable testing environment for all Nigerian children.
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