JAMB: Over 4,216 Candidates with Disabilities Admitted Into Tertiary Institutions in 10 Years

JAMB Equal Opportunity Programme Secures Admission for 4,216 Candidates with Disabilities in 10 Years.

No fewer than 4,216 candidates with disabilities have secured admission into universities, polytechnics and colleges of education across Nigeria in the last 10 years through the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) Equal Opportunity Group (JEOG).

Chairman of JEOG and former Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Emeritus Prof. 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.

The JAMB Equal Opportunity Group is an initiative established by the outgoing JAMB Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, to ensure that candidates with disabilities have equal access to the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and admission into tertiary institutions across the country.

Okebukola said the programme has recorded remarkable success since its inception, revealing that an average of 53 per cent of participating candidates gain admission into universities, polytechnics and colleges of education every year.

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According to him, beneficiaries of the initiative include candidates with visual impairment, autism, Down syndrome, albinism and other forms of disability.

"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 emphasised that the programme does not lower academic standards for candidates with disabilities, noting that they sit the same UTME and are assessed under the same conditions as every other candidate.

"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."

Okebukola said many beneficiaries have gone on to gain admission into highly competitive courses, including Law and other professional programmes, demonstrating that disability is not a barrier to academic excellence when the right support systems are in place.

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Speaking on the theme of the stakeholder engagement, he said discussions focused on the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in advancing inclusive higher education in Nigeria.

"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."

As part of activities marking the 10th anniversary of the JAMB Equal Opportunity Group, two books were unveiled. One of the publications, A Peep into the Future of Higher Education in Nigeria, was produced in honour of Prof. Oloyede and contains contributions from 44 scholars on the future of tertiary education in the country.

The second book, Early Start, Great Finish: Survival and Success – Manual for Underage Students in Nigerian Universities, authored by Okebukola, guides parents, lecturers and university administrators on supporting exceptionally gifted students admitted into universities before the age of 16.

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The event also featured tributes to Prof. Oloyede from education stakeholders, including the Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Dr. Sonny Echono, who commended the outgoing JAMB Registrar for reforms that have strengthened the credibility of the UTME and expanded access to higher education for persons with disabilities.

JAMB equally honoured outstanding members of staff, particularly personnel in its Information Technology Department, for their contributions to improving the Board's operations. Several tertiary institutions were also recognised for their commitment to admitting and supporting candidates with disabilities as part of efforts to promote a more inclusive higher education system in Nigeria.

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