Kuni Tyessi in Abuja

As the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) begins nationwide, the Chairman of the JAMB Equal Opportunity Group (JEOG), Professor Emeritus Peter Okebulola, has revealed that 501 blind candidates and others with special needs have been prepped.

The JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, in 2017, set up the JAMB Equal Opportunity Group (JEOG) with Okebukola as the chairman to oversee the smooth and orderly conduct of UTME for blind and other special needs candidates. 

Okebulola confirmed Thursday that the 501 blind candidates registered to sit for the 2025 UTME will take the exams in 11 designated centres nationwide on April 28 and 29, and this will involve 20 subjects. 

He said in 2024, 70% of JEOG candidates, notably the blind and albinos were offered admission to universities, polytechnics and colleges of education, and were admitted to such courses as law, special education, computer science, medicine and surgery, different programmes in education, mass communication, civil engineering, pharmacy, nursing science and business administration. 

He added that on the distribution of the candidates and the centre coordinators, many of whom are former vice-chancellors, Okebukola noted that: “Lagos has the highest number of 107 with Professor Olanrewaju Adigun Fagbohun, former VC of LASU as coordinator. 

“The candidates take the same test papers as the regular candidates and standards are not lowered in any form.”

Speaking further, Okebukola noted that: “This year, 84 blind candidates who are SSCE prima facie qualified for admission to institutions of higher learning in Nigeria  (that is with at least five O-level credits) will have the cost of their UTME registration refunded on site during the examination.”

He added that the other five “goodies” that Oloyede has been showering on the candidates since 2017 are free hotel accommodation for the blind candidates and their guides, free braille slate and stylus, customised T-shirts, free meals through the examination period and transport supplementation for the blind candidates and their guides. 

According to Okebukola, “This year and for the second time, JAMB, through JEOG, will implement the bimodal system of UTME administration. This involves fully-braille and fully read-aloud. Candidates have a choice of mode. 

“JEOG has been resourced by JAMB to make the experience of the two modes of test administration pleasant for the candidates. We had 348 candidates in 2022, 313 in 2023 and 529 in 2024.

“The examination has been scheduled for April 28 and 29, 2025 in the 11 centres and involves 20 subjects. The candidates take the same test papers as the regular candidates and standards are not lowered in any form.” 

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