By Gift Austine Unwujo, Abuja
No fewer than 536 blind candidates and others with special needs are participating in the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), marking another milestone in efforts to promote inclusive education across Nigeria.
Chairman of the JAMB Equal Opportunity Group (JEOG), Emeritus Professor Peter Okebukola, commended the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Professor Is-haq Oloyede, for what he described as a groundbreaking commitment to ensuring equal access to higher education.
Speaking with journalists in Abuja at the commencement of the special UTME sessions, Okebukola who also serves as President of the Global University Network for Innovation (GUNi-Africa) said the current JAMB leadership has consistently upheld the principle that no qualified Nigerian should be excluded from the examination due to disability.
He explained that the 536 candidates are being examined in 11 designated centres nationwide under arrangements specifically designed to meet their needs.
Okebukola noted that since 2017, JAMB, through JEOG, has provided comprehensive support for candidates with disabilities, including free accommodation for candidates and their guides, feeding, transportation, and customised examination materials.
“The continued adoption of a bimodal examination system, which allows candidates to choose between Fully-Braille and Fully Read-Aloud formats.
Now in its third year, the approach has significantly enhanced accessibility and improved the overall examination experience.
Providing a detailed breakdown he said “Kano recorded the highest number of candidates with 136, followed by Lagos with 95, while Abuja has 46 candidates.
Other centres include Ado-Ekiti, Bauchi, Benin, Enugu, Kebbi, Oyo, Jos, and Yola, all supervised by seasoned academics, many of whom are former vice-chancellors.
On admission outcomes, Okebukola expressed satisfaction with the steady progress recorded by candidates with disabilities.
He disclosed that in the 2025 admission cycle, 483 candidates applied for tertiary education, with 252 gaining admission—representing a 52.2 per cent success rate.
“Candidates with visual impairment constituted the largest group, accounting for 429 applications, with more than half successfully admitted.
Other categories, including candidates with Down Syndrome, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and Dyslexia, also recorded encouraging outcomes, with Dyslexia candidates achieving a 100 per cent admission rate.
He also observed a growing interest among candidates with disabilities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, describing the trend as a positive development.
Despite the progress, Okebukola acknowledged persistent challenges faced by visually impaired students in science-related disciplines, noting that efforts have been ongoing since 2018 to address these barriers.
He added that since its inception, JEOG has supported about 3,200 candidates with disabilities to sit for the UTME, with more than one-third securing admission into tertiary institutions nationwide.
The initiative, he said, has gained recognition across Africa as a model for advancing inclusive education.
As he prepares to step down in August 2026 after a decade of service, Okebukola commended Oloyede’s leadership, noting that JEOG’s achievements reflect a sustained institutional commitment to equity and opportunity in Nigeria’s education sector.
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