BY Pelumi Bolawa
The Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) is set to hold the first Africa Regional Conference on Equal Opportunity of Access to Higher Education (ARCEAHED) in Nigeria.
In 2017, Ishaq Oloyede, the JAMB registrar, inaugurated the JAMB Equal Opportunity Group (JEOG) to ensure all eligible Nigerians have equal opportunity to participate in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
In 2023, JEOG hosted a conference themed “Towards Increasing Equal Opportunity of Access to Higher Education in Nigeria” in Abuja.
The ARCEAHED conference, Oloyede says, will further amplify the JEOG agenda.
He said ARCEAHED is part of a commitment by African countries to implement the African Union Agenda 2063 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4.
Oloyede, in a statement, said the conference would be held on September 17 and 18 at the Idris Abdul Kadir Conference Hall of the National Universities Commission (NUC) in Maitama, Abuja.
It is themed “Advancing the Potentials of Persons with Disabilities in Educational and Economic Development”.
The regional conference will host participants from African countries including Ethiopia, Malawi, and Egypt.
He stated that this maiden edition aims to enhance access to higher education in Africa for persons with disability (PWDs).
Oloyede said the conference will provide a platform to share experiences on admitting and retaining persons with disabilities in tertiary institutions.
He said it will explore innovative solutions that will help bridge the gap in educational access for PWDs.
The board highlighted its different initiatives promoting inclusion within the education sector.
These initiatives include establishing specialised testing centres for PWD UTME candidates and reducing registration fees.
Other supports are transport supplementation, free accommodation during the examination process, and providing assistive tools for visually impaired candidates.
JAMB lauded the efforts of the federal government and the national assembly over the revamped student loan and the enactment of the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Law.
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