Kano: 88 visually impaired candidates sit for 2023 UTME

A total of 88 candidates with visual impairment sat for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) at a Kano centre.

The examination was conducted at the Bayero University Kano (BUK) Centre on Thursday under the JAMB Equal Opportunity Group (JEOG)

JEOG is a programme designed to provide an opportunity for people living with blindness and other disabilities to write the examination free of charge.

The candidates comprising males and females received different gadgets such as typewriters, braille machines and braille paper to ease the examination processes.

JAMB Coordinator for Kano Centre, Prof. Yahuza Bello stated this while monitoring the exercise at the School of Continuing Education, BUK.

Bello, a former Vice-Chancellor of the University, said the 88 students were drawn from the Northern states, adding that Kano has the highest number of candidates representing 26.12 per cent of the total blind candidates for this year.

According to him, 337 candidates with blindness registered to sit for the examination in 11 centres across the country.

“This effort is in furtherance of Prof. Oleyede-led JAMB, to ensure that no eligible Nigerian is denied the opportunity of taking the UTME and acquiring higher education regardless of disability.

“Since inception in 2017, the JEOG has processed over 3,300 candidates for the UTME, with more than a third admitted to courses of their choice in higher education institutions in Nigeria.

“In 2019, of the 390 candidates, a total of 175 (44.8 per cent) were given admission. Also in 2021, a total of 110 candidates with blindness were given admission,” he said.

According to him, reports from universities show that special needs candidates compete favourably with their normal counterparts.

Some of the candidates lauded the gesture, adding that it availed them opportunities to further their studies and engage in society like normal people.