A total of 92 visually-impaired candidates sat for the ongoing 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination organised by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board in Kano State.
The JAMB Coordinator for the Kano centre, Professor Muhammad Yahuza-Bello, shared this information while speaking with newsmen on Monday after monitoring the examination.
The exam took place at the School of Continuing Education, Bayero University Kano, under the JAMB Equal Opportunity Group for candidates with special needs.
Professor Yahuza-Bello, who is a former Vice-Chancellor of Bayero University Kano (BUK), said the 92 candidates came from Kano, Jigawa, Katsina, Zamfara, and Kaduna states.
“Out of the 92 candidates, two have Down syndrome, while two others have autism,” he said.
The candidates, made up of both males and females, were given special materials like typewriters, braille machines, slates, styluses, and paper to help them during the examination.
According to him, trained invigilators were also available to assist candidates who needed help by offering amanuensis services.
Professor Yahuza-Bello said over 500 special needs candidates registered to write the 2025 UTME across 11 centres in Nigeria. These candidates include those living with visual impairment, albinism, Down syndrome, autism, and other conditions.
“This initiative was introduced by the JAMB Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, in 2017 to give equal educational opportunities to all, regardless of disability,” he said.
“At regular CBT centres, candidates read from computer screens and use keyboards. But many of our candidates cannot do that, so we had to create a system that meets their needs.”
He added, “Our goal is to eliminate barriers to education, and this initiative builds upon JAMB’s ongoing reforms aimed at inclusivity, including the use of adaptive examination materials.”
The coordinator also noted that the examinations for special needs candidates are of the same quality and standard as those written by other candidates in regular CBT centres.
He said, “Since the start of this programme in 2017, JEOG has recorded success, with many candidates gaining admission into various universities, polytechnics, and colleges.”
Professor Yahuza-Bello revealed that while about 25 percent of regular candidates gain admission yearly, over 33 percent of special needs candidates have secured admission into tertiary institutions.
He thanked the Vice-Chancellor of BUK, Professor Sagir Adamu Abbas, the Department of Special Needs at BUK, the School of Continuing Education, and other institutions for supporting the initiative and offering admission to the candidates.
“As usual, JAMB through JEOG has provided free accommodation, feeding, and transportation support to all candidates during the examination period,” he added.
During the event, Khadija, a former Kano centre candidate who scored over 240 in her UTME, was introduced. She is now in her final year at BUK, studying BSc Dietetics and Nutrition.
Khadija praised the support given by JAMB and encouraged the current candidates to remain determined and focused on their dreams.
