A total of 536 visually impaired candidates and others with special needs are participating in the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination across 11 designated centres nationwide, with the Chairman of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board Equal Opportunity Group describing the development as evidence of the board’s sustained commitment to inclusive education.
Emeritus Professor Peter Okebukola, who also serves as President of the Global University Network for Innovation (GUNi Africa), made the remarks on Monday while speaking to journalists at the commencement of the special UTME sessions.
Okebukola praised JAMB Registrar Professor Ishaq Oloyede for ensuring that no qualified Nigerian is denied the opportunity to sit the examination on grounds of disability, stating that the board’s policy is anchored on fairness and equal access.
Kano recorded the highest number of participating candidates with 136, followed by Lagos with 95 and Abuja with 46. Other centres include Ado Ekiti, Bauchi, Benin City, Enugu, Kebbi, Oyo, Jos, and Yola, each supervised by experienced academics, many of them former vice chancellors.
Okebukola disclosed that since 2017, JAMB, through the Equal Opportunity Group, has provided free accommodation for candidates and their guides, feeding, transportation support, and customised examination materials. The board also operates a bimodal examination system, allowing candidates to choose between Fully Braille and Fully Read Aloud formats.
“This approach, now implemented for the third consecutive year, has significantly improved accessibility and candidate experience,” he stated.
Presenting figures from the 2025 admission cycle, Okebukola revealed that 483 candidates with disabilities applied for tertiary education, out of which 252 secured admission, representing a 52.2 per cent success rate. Candidates with visual impairment accounted for 429 of those applications, with more than half gaining admission. Candidates with Dyslexia recorded a 100 per cent admission success rate.
He also noted growing interest among candidates with disabilities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics subjects, describing it as an encouraging shift. However, he acknowledged that barriers remain for blind students pursuing science related disciplines, adding that efforts to address those challenges have been ongoing since 2018.
Okebukola described the initiative as a model for inclusive education across Africa.
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