536 Visually impaired Candidates Sit UTME, Okebukola Praises Oloyede’s Inclusive Drive
No fewer than 536 blind candidates and others with special needs are participating in the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), in what has been described as a major milestone in inclusive education in Nigeria.
Chairman of the JAMB Equal Opportunity Group (JEOG), Emeritus Professor Peter Okebukola, commended the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Professor Is-haq Oloyede, for sustaining what he termed an unprecedented commitment to equal access to higher education.
Speaking with journalists on Monday at the commencement of the special UTME sessions at Federal College of Education (Special), Oyo, Okebukola said the Oloyede-led administration had ensured that no qualified Nigerian is denied the opportunity to sit for the examination on account of disability.
He explained that the candidates are being examined across 11 designated centres nationwide, under arrangements specifically tailored to their needs.
Okebukola noted that since 2017, JAMB, through JEOG, has provided comprehensive support services, including free accommodation for candidates and their guides, feeding, transportation, and customised examination materials.
He also highlighted the adoption of a bimodal examination system, which allows candidates to choose between Fully-Braille and Fully Read-Aloud formats.
According to him, the initiative, now in its third year, has significantly enhanced accessibility and improved the examination experience for candidates with visual impairment.
Providing a breakdown, Okebukola said Kano recorded the highest number of candidates with 136, followed by Lagos with 95, while Abuja hosts 46 candidates. Other centres are located in Ado-Ekiti, Bauchi, Benin, Enugu, Kebbi, Oyo, Jos and Yola.
He added that the centres are supervised by seasoned academics, including former vice-chancellors, to ensure credibility and smooth conduct of the examination.
On admission outcomes, Okebukola expressed satisfaction with the steady improvement in the performance of candidates with disabilities.
He disclosed that in the 2025 admission cycle, 483 candidates applied for tertiary education, out of which 252 secured admission, representing a 52.2 per cent success rate.
He noted that candidates with visual impairment accounted for the highest number of applications, while other categories such as Down Syndrome, Autism Spectrum Disorder and Dyslexia also recorded encouraging admission rates, with Dyslexia candidates achieving full admission success.
Okebukola further observed a growing interest among candidates with disabilities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines, describing the trend as a positive development.
Despite the progress, he acknowledged persistent challenges faced by blind students in science-related courses, noting that efforts have been ongoing since 2018 to address the barriers.
He revealed that since its inception, JEOG has supported about 3,200 candidates with disabilities to participate in UTME, with over one-third gaining admission into tertiary institutions.
Okebukola said the initiative has continued to attract recognition across Africa as a model for inclusive education.
As he prepares to step down in August 2026 after a decade of service, the educationist lauded Oloyede’s leadership, noting that the strides recorded by JEOG reflect a strong institutional commitment to equity and opportunity in Nigeria’s education sector.
In the same vein, Prof. Taoheed Adedoja, former Provost of the Federal College of Education (Special), Oyo, and Oyo examination centre coordinator for the past eight years, was also present during the monitoring exercise.
The former Minister of Sports and Special Duties commended the Registrar of JAMB, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, for the consistent success recorded in the conduct of examinations over the past decade.
Similarly, Prof. Peter Okebukola, Chairman of the Joint Equal Opportunity Group (JEOG), monitored this year’s examination exercise across 11 centres nationwide, including Oyo, Ekiti, Enugu, Bauchi, Lagos, Kano, Abuja, Jos, Kebbi, Yola, and Sokoto.
Top past and current chief executives of tertiary institutions also participated in assisting and supervising the smooth conduct of the examinations across these centres, reinforcing the credibility and inclusiveness of the exercise.