577 visually impaired candidates to sit for UTME, says JAMB

577  visually impaired candidates will write the 2024 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) in eleven centres across Nigeria.

Peter Okebukola, chairman of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) Equal Opportunity Group (JEOG), disclosed this while addressing journalists during the preparation for the 2024 UTME for candidates with special needs.

Is-haq Oloyede, JAMB registrar, set up JEOG in 2017 for candidates with special needs.

“This year and for the first time, JAMB, through JEOG, will implement the bimodal system of UTME administration,” Okebukola said.

“This involves fully-Braille and fully Read-Aloud. Candidates have a choice of mode. JEOG has been resourced by JAMB to make the experience of the two modes of test administration pleasant for the candidates.

“With a total of 577 blind candidates, the 2024 UTME presents the highest number. We had 348 in 2022, 313 in 2023. The 2024 increase is largely due to increased advocacy by JEOG, a process which will be bolstered in the coming years.”

Okebukola added that: “In the last four days, I have conferred with members of GUNi-Africa on how blind candidates aspiring for higher education in Africa are treated in their countries and all are in agreement that Nigeria, through Professor Oloyede, stands clearly out as the best.”

“This year, all blind candidates who are prima facie qualified for admission to institutions of higher learning in Nigeria (that is with at least five O-level credits) will have the cost of their UTME registration refunded on site during the examination.”

He also said Oloyede has been providing “free hotel accommodation for the visually impaired candidates and their guides, free Braille slate and stylus, customised T-shirts, free meals throughout the examination period and transport supplementation for the blind candidates and their guides” since 2017.