Oloyede: Insatiable appetite for excellence @ 70 FEMI ADEOTI COLUMN,

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His insatiable appetite for excellence is uncommon. And it’s growing in great leaps and bounds every passing second. You can’t halt the trend. You dare not risk catching up with him. He is worthy of emulation.
He’s far ahead of time. His gem is rare and scarce. He is distinct in his actions and inactions. He has zero tolerance for dishonesty and laziness.
Even at 70. Whatever comes Prof Is-haq Olanrewaju Oloyede’s way. He does it diligently, excellently with aptness. And to accurate perfection. Precision is his driving motto.
Oloyede is Registrar, Joint Admissions Examination Board (JAMB). Unarguably, he has a firm grip on the space he occupies. He has no difficulty in calling the shots. And he does it effortlessly, seamlessly. Even ceaselessly.
He is not relenting any time soonest. He’s not given up either. He is too determined to contemplate that. It is not a card on his table. Resolute and focused on what he lays his hands to do. That is working wonders for him.
He arrived this clime on October 10, 1954. Abeokuta Local Government, Ogun State, happened to be his port of call. And there he aligned with destiny. He had no viable choice! No regret over what providence bestowed on him
Oloyede is a colossal that happened to Nigeria’s education sector for good reasons. The hard facts are not far-fetched. He cannot be taken for a pushover. His track records are quiet intimidating. Wherever God directs him to put his feet. He surely leaves indelible landmarks.
He was Vice Chancellor, University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), for five years. That was between October 2007 and October 20212. He turned around the fortunes of the institution. Solid proofs dote on the university. Its ratings among global universities soared to high heaven.
He was Chairman, Association of Vice-Chancellors of Nigeria Universities. So also was he Chairman, Committee of Vice-Chancellors (CVC), from 2011 to 2012.
Whatever Oloyede lays his hands on practically turns to gold. The exemplar is his ongoing exploits at JAMB. He assumed duty as JAMB Registrar on August 9, 2016. And marvellous things began to fall into pleasant places for Nigeria’s education sector.
In few years of his hitting the ground running. He revamped the entire operation of the board. The board previously remitted to the Federal Government coffers, a cumulative sum of less than N50million. That was between 1978 and 2016. Oloyede changed the poor narrative to the best. JAMB began to sing new, melodious songs. And they were, still pleasing to ears.
Oloyede’s dexterity made a spectacular turnaround. He remitted a handsome N7.8billion in 2017. He was not done yet.  Between 2017 and 2023, he paid operating surplus of N30.3billion to the Federal Government’s Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF).
What’s more! This excluded special allowance to staff, grants to corporate bodies and institutions. All of these were above N5billion. It was in addition to over N12billion capital expenditure for the massive physical and human development being undertaken from the Internal Generated Revenue (IGR) of the Board.
Oloyede’s feat didn’t go unrecognised. The then Federal Government showed instant appreciation. And Nigerians were the actual beneficiaries of that gratitude. Government’s response was heart-warming. It reduced application fee into tertiary institutions by 30 per cent. That is huge by every standard.
He is a globally acknowledged scholar of Islam. He became Professor in 1995. Till date, he has published close to 100 publications. These are making waves in reputable outlets. Expectedly, he has attended numerous academic fora within and outside Nigeria.
Oloyede is Fellow, Islamic Academy of Cambridge, UK. Fellow, Academy of Entrepreneurship; Fellow, Nigerian Institute of Management; Fellow, Institute of Arabic and Islamic Studies and Fellow, Association of Islamic Religious Studies and Fellow, Nigerian Academic of Letters.  He won the Arab League Prize for Best Final Year Certificate Student in Islamic Studies from the University of Ibadan in 1977. He garnered many more laurels, home and abroad.
Once Chairman, Committee of Directors of Academic Planning in Nigerian Universities, 2002 to 2004. President, Association of African Universities (AAU), 2004 to 2011. He served on the Board of Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU), 2010 to 2012 and International Association of Universities (IAU), 2008 to 2012.  He is International Advisory Board member, International Network for Higher Education in Africa (INHEA).  Board member. Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC).
He initiated All West African Universities (AWAU). Eventually, he became its honorary Secretary General. He was Executive Secretary and National Coordinator, Nigerian Inter-Religious Council (NIREC), from 2007 to 2018. Currently, he is Secretary General, Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA).
Oloyede soars over his peers. He stands tall, distinguished and distinct. He is a recipient of two national honours: Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR), 2014 and Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON), 2022.
He received the National Productivity Order of Merit (NPOM) Award in 2019. He followed suit to garner the Nigeria Excellence Award in Public Service (Education Category) in 2022.
Even the National Executive Council of the Nigerian Association of Christian Journalists (NACJ), couldn’t loose sight of Is-shaq Oloyede. It could not resist honouring him with its Integrity Public Servant Personality of the Year 2021 Award, aka NACJ 2021.
The year was packed full of recognition, appreciation for Oloyede. It started in February 2023. He was presented with an Icon of Education Transformation and Peace Award. The same year, the National Association of Nigerian Students made him a life member of the NANS Hall of Fame.  Another came in September from TAF Africa. He was honoured for his outstanding commitment to the education of people with disabilities in Nigeria.
At 70, Oloyede still has pact with destiny. It’s not yet over. And it won’t be over soon. Not even in the farthest future. It is a longest distant journey which destiny has purposed for him. May this be fully filled in his life in good health and sound mind.
Prof, continue to age gracefully!