…AS JAMB EXAMINES 364 CANDIDATES WITH DISABILITIES
The Chairman, JAMB Equal Opportunity Group (JEOG), Prof. Peter Okebukola, has commended the Registrar, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board(JAMB), Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, for his passion for catering for candidates with disabilities.
The commendation came as JAMB examined 364 candidates in eleven centres in the 2023 UTME exercise.
According to Prof. Okebukola, the goal of the Oloyede-led administration is to ensure that no candidate, who is eligible to sit the UTME, is denied the opportunity of doing so regardless of status.
“Prof. Oloyede holds the firm view that we must have a level playing field for all candidates. As long as they are intellectually capable and meet the minimum conditions for admission into tertiary institutions of their choice, they should have a good chance of getting admitted.
The former Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), also pointed out that since 2017, JEOG has processed about 2,600 candidates for the UTME with over a third admitted to courses of their choice in higher educational institutions in Nigeria, mainly universities.
“This initiative of the Board has been cited in the last four years in several countries, as a good model for Africa as the blind candidates take the same test items as those who are not blind.”
“There are exciting times ahead for blind candidates and others with disabilities in furtherance of Prof. Oloyede’s equal opportunity agenda.”
“To facilitate the administration of the examination, the Board has fashioned out a mode of examination administration comprising the blended use of personal computers (PCs) the traditional braille slate and stylus/typewriters in writing answers to questions that are read out by a subject expert.”
“By way of logistics assistance, JAMB takes full responsibility for hotel accommodation and feeding of the candidates in the eleven centres as well as pays generous transport supplementation while providing them with conducive environment to sit the examination. Additionally, each blind candidate receives the very precious tools of slate and stylus from JAMB that will be used during their course of study, when admitted in any tertiary institution of their choice.”
