Bisola David
In Kano, 88 applicants with visual impairments took the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination on Thursday.
The News Agency of Nigeria reported that the JAMB Equal Opportunity Group held the exam at the Bayero University Kano Center.
The JEOG program was created to give those who are blind or have other disabilities the chance to take the exam for free.
To make the examination procedure easier for both the male and female candidates, braille machines, braille paper, and typewriters were provided.
The JAMB coordinator for the Kano center, Prof. Yahuza Bello, made this statement while overseeing the test at the School of Continuing Education, BUK.
According to Bello, a former vice-chancellor of the university, the 88 pupils came from the northern states, with Kano having the largest number of candidates – 26.12% of all this year’s blind applicants.
He claimed that a total of 337 blind individuals signed up to take the test at 11 centers across the country.
This endeavor supports the mission of Prof. Oleyede-led JAMB, which is to guarantee that no qualified Nigerian is denied the chance to take the UTME and pursue higher education because of a disability.
Since its launch in 2017, the JEOG has processed more than 3,300 UTME applicants, with more than a third of them being accepted into the programs of their choice at Nigerian higher education institutions.
“In 2019, a total of 175 (44.8%) of the 390 applicants were admitted. Additionally in 2021, 110 blind applicants in all received admission, according to him.
He claimed that statistics from universities demonstrate that applicants with special needs outperform those without.
Some of the applicants praised the gesture and added that it gave them the chance to further their education and participate in society like regular citizens.
“It’s a great motivator for us.”
