UTME: 4,216 candidates with disabilities admitted in 10 Years – Okebukola
By Uji A Iliyasu Abuja
No fewer than 4,216 candidates with disabilities have secured admission into universities, polytechnics and colleges of education across Nigeria over the past decade, through the intervention of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board’s (JAMB) Equal Opportunity Group (JEOG).
Chairman of JEOG and former Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Emeritus Professor Peter Okebukola, disclosed this on Wednesday during the 2026 JAMB National Stakeholder Engagement on Inclusivity and Higher Education, held at the NUC headquarters in Abuja.
JEOG was established by the outgoing JAMB Registrar, Professor Is-haq Oloyede, to guarantee candidates with disabilities equal access to the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and subsequent admission into tertiary institutions.
Professor Okebukola said the initiative had recorded remarkable success over the past 10 years, with an average of 53 per cent of participating candidates gaining admission into universities, polytechnics and colleges of education annually.
Beneficiaries, he explained, include candidates living with visual impairment, autism, down syndrome, albinism and other disabilities.
“In the last 10 years, we have had 4,216 candidates with different categories of disabilities participate in the programme. On average, about 53 per cent of them gain admission into universities, polytechnics and colleges of education every year,” he said.
He stressed that candidates with disabilities are assessed under the same academic standards as every other UTME candidate, with no allowances made for the nature of their examinations.
“We do not lower standards for them. They answer the same questions as every other candidate. I am continually amazed by how excellently they perform. Many of them are exceptionally brilliant,” Professor Okebukola said, adding that beneficiaries have gone on to excel in competitive fields such as Law and other professional courses, proving that disability is no barrier to academic excellence where adequate support exists.
Speaking on the theme of the engagement, he said discussions had centred on how artificial intelligence (AI) could be deployed to deepen inclusive practice in Nigeria’s higher education sector.
“We are reviewing what we have achieved in the last 10 years and looking ahead. One of the major issues that will shape the future of higher education is Artificial Intelligence, and we are examining how AI can improve the efficiency of inclusivity in higher education,” he said.
Two books were unveiled to mark the anniversary. The first, A Peep into the Future of Higher Education in Nigeria, was produced in honour of Professor Oloyede and draws on contributions from 44 scholars examining the future direction of the country’s higher education system.
The second, Early Start, Great Finish: Survival and Success – Manual for Underage Students in Nigerian Universities, authored by Professor Okebukola, offers guidance to parents, lecturers and administrators on supporting exceptionally gifted students admitted before the age of 16.
The manual followed consultations with 468 scholars and underage undergraduates, focusing on issues such as bullying, emotional adjustment and social integration.
The event also featured tributes to Professor Oloyede, including from the Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Sonny Echono, who praised reforms that have strengthened the credibility of the UTME and widened access for persons with disabilities.
JAMB additionally honoured outstanding staff, particularly within its Information Technology Department, alongside several tertiary institutions recognised for their commitment to admitting and supporting candidates with disabilities.