The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced that 501 blind candidates will participate in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
This special examination will take place in eleven Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres across Nigeria, ensuring that candidates with visual impairments have equal access to higher education opportunities.
Prof. Emeritus Peter Okebukola, Chairman of the JAMB Equal Opportunity Group (JEOG), shared this update during a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday.
He explained that the examination is scheduled for April 28 and 29, 2025, and will cover 20 subjects.
The JEOG, a group set up by JAMB in 2017 under the leadership of JAMB Registrar Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, is responsible for overseeing the UTME for blind candidates and others with special needs.
Okebukola noted that the number of blind candidates taking the UTME has been increasing over the years.
In 2022, 348 blind candidates participated, followed by 313 in 2023, and 529 in 2024.
He stressed that these candidates write the same test papers as other students, with no reduction in standards, ensuring fairness and credibility in the examination process.
The JEOG Chairman praised Prof. Oloyede for his commitment to equal access to education, calling him one of Africa’s strongest advocates for inclusive higher education.
Okebukola, who also serves as President of the Global University Network for Innovation (GUNi-Africa), recently discussed with GUNi-Africa members how blind candidates are supported across the continent.