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 intervention of 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 Professor Peter Okebukola, disclosed this on Wednesday at the 2026 JAMB National Stakeholder Engagement on Inclusivity and Higher Education held at the NUC headquarters in Abuja.
JAMB Equal Opportunity Group, is an initiative established by the outgoing JAMB Registrar, Professor Is-haq Oloyede, to provide candidates with disabilities equal access to the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and admission into tertiary institutions.
According to Okebukola, the programme has recorded remarkable success over the past decade, with an average of 53 per cent of participating candidates gaining admission into universities, polytechnics and colleges of education annually.
He explained that the beneficiaries include candidates 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 the average, about 53 per cent of them gain admission into universities, polytechnics and colleges of education every year,” he said.
Okebukola stressed that candidates with disabilities are assessed under the same academic standards as every other UTME 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,” he said.
He noted that many of the beneficiaries have excelled in competitive disciplines, including Law and other professional courses, adding that their performance demonstrates that disability is not a barrier to academic excellence when adequate support is provided.
Speaking on the theme of the stakeholder engagement, Okebukola said discussions focused on how Artificial Intelligence (AI) could be deployed to strengthen 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,” he said.
As part of activities marking the anniversary, two books were unveiled. One of them, A Peep into the Future of Higher Education in Nigeria, was produced in honour of Professor Oloyede and features contributions from 44 scholars examining the future direction of Nigeria’s higher education system.
The second publication, Early Start, Great Finish: Survival and Success – Manual for Underage Students in Nigerian Universities, authored by Okebukola, provides guidance for parents, lecturers, administrators and other stakeholders on supporting exceptionally gifted students admitted into universities before the age of 16.
According to him, the manual was developed after extensive consultations with 468 scholars and underage students already enrolled in Nigerian universities, with emphasis on helping them navigate challenges such as bullying, emotional adjustment and social integration.
The event also featured tributes to Oloyede from 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.
In recognition of exceptional service, JAMB presented awards to outstanding members of staff, particularly personnel in its Information Technology Department, for their dedication and innovation in improving the Board’s operations.
Several tertiary institutions were equally honoured for their commitment to admitting and supporting candidates with disabilities, in line with JAMB’s drive for a more inclusive higher education system.
