No fewer than 501 blind candidates are scheduled to sit for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) across eleven designated centres nationwide.
This was disclosed by the Chairman of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) Equal Opportunity Group (JEOG), Professor Peter Okebukola, during a press briefing ahead of the special UTME for blind and other candidates with special needs.
JEOG was established in 2017 by JAMB Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, with Professor Okebukola appointed to oversee a smooth and inclusive UTME experience for visually impaired and differently-abled candidates.
Professor Okebukola announced that this year’s examination will take place between April 28 and April 29, covering 20 subjects.
“The candidates take the same test papers as the regular candidates and standards are not lowered in any form,” he emphasized.
Highlighting the inclusive policies championed by JAMB, Okebukola, who also serves as President of the Global University Network for Innovation (GUNi-Africa), praised Professor Oloyede for his efforts in ensuring equal access to higher education across the continent.
“As I normally review every year, in the last one week, 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, Professor Oloyede, stands clearly out as the best,” he said.
He also revealed that 84 blind candidates who are prima facie qualified for admission—having at least five O-Level credits—will have their UTME registration fees refunded on the spot during the examination.
In addition, he highlighted several forms of support that JAMB has been providing for blind candidates since 2017.
“The other five ‘goodies’ that Oloyede has been showering on the candidates since 2017 are—free hotel accommodation for the blind candidates and their guides, free Braille slate and stylus, customised T-Shirts, free meals through the examination period, and transport supplementation for the blind candidates and their guides,” Okebukola stated.
He further noted that, “This year and for the second time, JAMB, through JEOG, will implement the bimodal system of UTME administration. 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,” he added.
According to Okebukola, JEOG has witnessed steady participation over the years, with 348 candidates in 2022, 313 in 2023, and 529 in 2024.
