A total of 92 visually impaired candidates participated in the ongoing 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) at the Kano Special Centre.
The JAMB Coordinator for Kano, Professor Muhammad Yahuza-Bello, disclosed this while addressing journalists after supervising the examination exercise at the School of Continuing Education, Bayero University, Kano (BUK). The centre operates under the JAMB Equal Opportunity Group (JEOG), a programme dedicated to supporting candidates with special needs.
According to Prof. Yahuza-Bello, a former Vice-Chancellor of BUK, the candidates were drawn from five states — Kano, Jigawa, Katsina, Zamfara, and Kaduna. Among them, two candidates have Down syndrome and two others are on the autism spectrum.
The coordinator highlighted that the candidates, comprising both male and female students, were provided with various assistive devices, including typewriters, braille machines, slates, styluses, and special examination papers. Trained personnel and invigilators were also deployed to offer amanuensis services to candidates who required assistance throughout the examination.
“Since the introduction of the JAMB Equal Opportunity Group by the Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, in 2017, the initiative has continued to ensure inclusive access to tertiary education for candidates with disabilities,” Yahuza-Bello stated. “At regular CBT centres, candidates read questions on screens and respond via keyboards. However, many of our candidates cannot interact with digital interfaces, so we provide adaptive materials to meet their specific needs.”
Prof. Yahuza-Bello further disclosed that over 500 candidates with special needs, including those with visual impairments, albinism, Down syndrome, and autism, registered for the 2025 UTME across 11 designated centres nationwide.
He emphasized that the examination for special needs candidates maintains the same quality and academic standard as the computer-based tests taken by other candidates at conventional CBT centres.
“Interestingly, while only about 25 per cent of regular candidates gain admission into tertiary institutions annually, over 33 per cent of special needs candidates who participate in JEOG examinations secure admission. This is a testament to the initiative’s effectiveness,” he noted.
The coordinator commended the management of Bayero University Kano, particularly the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Sagir Adamu Abbas, the Department of Special Needs Education, and the School of Continuing Education for their continued support and provision of admission slots for candidates with disabilities.
Prof. Yahuza-Bello also confirmed that, in line with JAMB’s tradition, the board has provided free accommodation, feeding, and transportation stipends for all participating candidates during the examination period.
The JEOG initiative remains one of JAMB’s flagship reforms aimed at promoting equal educational opportunities and inclusivity for candidates living with disabilities across Nigeria.
