No fewer than 501 blind candidates have begun writing the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) across eleven centres nationwide.
Chairman of the JAMB Equal Opportunity Group (JEOG), Professor Peter Okebukola, made this known while addressing newsmen at the commencement of the 2025 UTME for blind and other special needs candidates, a responsibility assigned to JEOG by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).
EduTimes Africa reports that JAMB Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, in 2017 set up JEOG with Professor Okebukola as chairman to ensure the smooth and inclusive conduct of UTME for blind and other candidates with disabilities.
Okebukola disclosed that the examination, which will run from April 28 to April 29, involves 20 subjects.
“The candidates take the same test papers as the regular candidates and standards are not lowered in any form,” he added.
Okebukola, who also serves as President of the Global University Network for Innovation (GUNi-Africa), described Oloyede as one of the strongest advocates for equal access to higher education in Africa.
“As I normally review every year, in the last one week, I have conferred with members of GUNi-Africa on how blind candidates aspiring for higher education in Africa are treated in their countries, and all are in agreement that Nigeria, under Professor Oloyede, stands clearly out as the best,” he stated.
According to him, 84 blind candidates who are prima facie qualified for university admission with at least five O-level credits will have their UTME registration fees refunded on site during the examination.
He added that five other benefits, which Oloyede has consistently provided since 2017, will also be offered this year. These include free hotel accommodation for blind candidates and their guides, free Braille slates and styluses, customized T-shirts, free meals throughout the examination period, and transport support.
“This year, and for the second time, JAMB through JEOG will implement the bimodal system of UTME administration. This involves Fully-Braille and Fully Read-Aloud options. Candidates have a choice of mode,” he said.
“JEOG has been resourced by JAMB to make the experience of the two modes of test administration pleasant for the candidates. We had 348 candidates in 2022, 313 in 2023 and 529 in 2024,” Okebukola added.
EduTimes Africa, a product of Education Times Africa, is a magazine publication that aims to lend its support to close the yawning gap in Africa's educational development.