UTME: 4,200 Candidates With Disabilities Gain Admission In 10 Years

…As Board honours staff, institutions for promoting inclusion

No fewer than 4,216 candidates living with disabilities have secured admission into universities, polytechnics and colleges of education across Nigeria over the last decade through the intervention of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board’s (JAMB) Equal Opportunity Group (JEOG).

The Chairman of JEOG and former Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Emeritus Professor Peter Okebukola, disclosed this on Wednesday at the 2026 JAMB National Stakeholder Engagement on Inclusivity and Higher Education held in Abuja.

Established by the outgoing JAMB Registrar, Professor Is-haq Oloyede, the JAMB Equal Opportunity Group was created to guarantee equal access to the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and tertiary education opportunities for candidates with disabilities.

Okebukola said the initiative has maintained an impressive admission record, with an average of 53 per cent of participating candidates gaining placement into tertiary institutions annually.

According to him, beneficiaries of the programme include candidates with visual impairment, autism spectrum disorder, Down syndrome, albinism and other forms of disabilities.

He said: “In the last 10 years, we have had 4,216 candidates with different categories of disabilities participate in the programme. On the average, about 53 per cent of them gain admission into universities, polytechnics and colleges of education every year.”

The former NUC boss stressed that beneficiaries of the programme sit the same examinations and were subjected to the same academic standards as every other UTME candidate.

“We do not lower standards for them. They answer the same questions as every other candidate. I am continually amazed by how excellently they perform. Many of them are exceptionally brilliant.”

Okebukola noted that several of the candidates had gone on to excel in highly competitive disciplines, including Law and other professional programmes, insisting that disability should never be seen as a barrier to academic achievement when the right support systems are in place.

Speaking on the theme of the stakeholder engagement, Okebukola said participants examined how Artificial Intelligence (AI) could be deployed to advance inclusive higher education in Nigeria.

According to him, stakeholders used the forum to review the gains recorded by JEOG in the last decade and explore future opportunities for expanding access to tertiary education through technology-driven solutions.

“One of the major issues that will shape the future of higher education is Artificial Intelligence, and we are examining how AI can improve the efficiency of inclusivity in higher education.”

As part of activities marking the 10th anniversary of the initiative, two books were unveiled during the event.

The first, ‘A Peep into the Future of Higher Education in Nigeria’, was produced in honour of Oloyede and contains contributions from 44 scholars who examined emerging trends and prospects for Nigeria’s higher education sector.

The second publication, ‘Early Start, Great Finish: Survival and Success – Manual for Underage Students in Nigerian Universities, authored by Okebukola, provides practical guidance for parents, lecturers, university administrators and other stakeholders on supporting exceptionally gifted students admitted into universities before the age of 16.

Okebukola disclosed that the manual was developed following consultations with 468 scholars and underage students already studying in Nigerian universities, with particular attention paid to issues such as bullying, emotional adjustment and social integration.

Stakeholders at the event paid glowing tributes to Oloyede for reforms introduced during his tenure, particularly efforts aimed at improving the integrity of the UTME and expanding access to higher education for persons with disabilities.

Among those who commended the outgoing registrar was the Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Dr Sonny Echono, who described Oloyede’s tenure as transformative for Nigeria’s admissions process.

In recognition of outstanding service, JAMB presented awards to exceptional members of staff, especially personnel in its Information Technology Department, for innovations that have strengthened the Board’s operations.

Several tertiary institutions were also honoured for their commitment to admitting and supporting candidates with disabilities as part of efforts to deepen inclusion within Nigeria’s higher education system.