138 visually-impaired candidates sit UTME in Kano

At least 138 visually-impaired candidates have sat the 2024 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) in Kano under JAMB Equal Opportunity Group (JEOG).

The examination was conducted at Bayero University Kano’s Centre for Continuing Education.

The programme was set up under the leadership of JAMB Registrar, Professor Is-haq Oloyede, to oversee the conduct of UTME for special candidates.

The JEOG is made up of 43 senior academics including former executive secretaries of parastatals of the Federal Ministry of Education, former vice-chancellors, a former minister and experts in special education and other relevant stakeholders such as the President of the Nigeria Association of the Blind, National President, Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities, President, The Albino Foundation and President, Nigeria National Association of Deaf as well as the Anglo-Nigeria Welfare Association for the Blind.

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As directed by JAMB, the group conducted UTME for blind candidates and others with disabilities such as autism and down syndrome.

The goal of the Oloyede-led JAMB is to ensure that no eligible Nigerian is prevented from taking the UTME regardless of disability.

Prof. Muhammad Yahuza Bello, a former vice chancellor of Bayero University Kano, coordinated the exams at the Kano centre.

Speaking, the Chairman of the JEOG, Prof Peter Okebukola, who is anchoring the exams at 11 centres nationwide, said that he came to Kano because the centre had the largest number of candidates.

He added that JAMB had provided all the necessary logistics including transportation, accommodation and feeding for the candidates and their guide.

The JAMB also introduced free registration for the qualified candidates where 21 candidates from Kano State benefitted from it.

“You know at the beginning of registration, JAMB cannot know the candidates who are qualified so they were all asked to pay the registration fee. Having certified the conditions, JAMB is now paying back the registration fee for 21 candidates in this centre,” Okebukola said.

The JEOG also introduced another initiative whereby the first category of candidates would do the exams by read aloud proccess while other would use the full brail. He urged the candidates to pay attention.

A candidate, Abdulmalik Haruna, who aspires to read law or communication thanked the JAMB for the gesture.