No fewer than 536 visually impaired candidates have sat for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), alongside others with special needs across the country.
Since 2017, JAMB, through JEOG, has provided extensive support, including free accommodation for candidates and their guides, meals, transportation support, and customized materials.
Emeritus Professor Peter Okebukola, the Chairman of the JAMB Equal Opportunity Group (JEOG) disclosed this while briefing journalists on Monday at the commencement of the special UTME sessions in Abuja.
Okebukola said the 536 candidates are being examined across 11 designated centres nationwide, under arrangements tailored to their needs.
He revealed that Kano recorded the highest number with 136 candidates, followed by Lagos with 95, and Abuja with 46 candidates, while Ado-Ekiti, Bauchi, Benin, Enugu, Kebbi, Oyo, Jos, and Yola each hosted 46 candidates, each supervised by experienced academics, many of whom are former vice-chancellors.
Okebukola expressed satisfaction with the improving admission outcomes for candidates with disabilities, saying in the 2025 admission cycle, 483 candidates applied for tertiary education, out of which 252 secured admissions, representing a 52.2 per cent success rate.
According to him, Candidates with visual impairment formed the largest group, accounting for 429 applications, of which over half were successfully admitted.
Other categories, including candidates with Down Syndrome, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and Dyslexia, also recorded notable admission rates, with Dyslexia candidates achieving a 100 per cent success rate.
He further noted growing interest among candidates in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects, describing it as a positive shift.
However, he acknowledged ongoing challenges faced by blind students in pursuing science-related disciplines, stressing that efforts to address these barriers have been underway since 2018.
Since its establishment, JEOG has facilitated UTME participation for about 3,200 candidates with disabilities, with more than one-third gaining admission into Nigerian tertiary institutions.
Veteran journalist and recipient of A.B.C Yola, Reporter of the Year Award (1997), Hassan Umar Shallpella, works with WAP as a Regional Correspondence. He was trained at Institute of Mass Communication and Technology Jos and Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, Training School Lagos.He was a News desk Editor and a Correspondent at the Punch newspaper and till 2019, was the Deputy Editor ofThe Scope newspaper.
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