In total, 364 visually impaired applicants will take the 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination in eleven different locations around the country.
According to The PUNCH, this was disclosed by the chairman, JAMB Equal Opportunity Group, Professor Peter Okebukola, who made this known while providing the highlight of the 2023 examination on Thursday in Abuja.
Additionally, he expressed gratitude to Registrar of JAMB, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede for the exceptional arrangements made for this group of Nigerians, noting that Oloyede’s JAMB aims to ensure that no eligible Nigerian is prohibited from taking the UTME regardless of a disability.
He stated that starting in 2017, JEOG processed about 2,600 applicants for the UTME, with over a third being accepted into their preferred programmes at Nigeria’s higher education institutions, primarily universities. He also stated that this JAMB initiative has been cited in several countries over the past four years as an effective model for Africa.
The National Universities Commission’s former executive secretary clarified that the examinations are administered using a hybrid of personal computers, traditional Braille slates, and stylus/typewriters to write answers to questions that are read out by a subject expert. It was emphasised that candidates who are blind take the same test items as those who are not blind.
JAMB has authorised a gradual transition to the full CBT style starting in 2024, according to Okebukola, who is also the chairman of the board of governors of the National Open University of Nigeria.
He stated that this mode will be tested in a pilot run later this year, and applicants who choose entirely Braille, fully CBT, or fully read-aloud modes will have options as well.
According to him, “There are exciting times ahead for blind candidates and others with disabilities in the realisation of the dream of Professor Is-had Oloyede for equal opportunity.”
While giving further insight, Okebukola said: “So far, a good number of blind candidates processed through JEOG have secured admission to federal, state and private universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.
“In 2019, of the 390 candidates, a total of 175 (44.8%) were given admission. This was unprecedented in the history of admission of such a category of students into the Nigerian higher education system, another of Professor Oloyede’s golden legacies.
“In 2020, 89 of the 351 blind candidates (25%) that sat for the UTME. In 2021, a total of 110 blind candidates were given admission, out of the 332 that sat for the UTME. This 33% admission of blind candidates to higher education in an annual cohort is unprecedented in the African higher education system.
“In 2022, 139 candidates out of the 364 candidates that took the UTME (38%) were admitted to the higher education institution of their choice.
“Five of the blind candidates scored above 270 in the 2022 UTME. Ninety-two scored above 200. When compared proportionally with the non-blind candidates, the blind candidates are doing as well, if not better than the visually unimpaired candidates.
“The 2023 exercise is taking place in 11 centres nationwide. This is in the interest of bringing the venue of the examination closer to the candidates, especially with the security situation in the country.
“The centres are coordinated by seasoned academics and university administrators. The total number of candidates is 364,” he stated
