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No fewer than 4,216 candidates with disabilities have gained admission into universities, polytechnics and colleges of education across Nigeria over the past 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.
The JAMB Equal Opportunity Group (JEOG), established by the outgoing JAMB Registrar, Professor Is-haq Oloyede, provides candidates with disabilities equal access to the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and opportunities for admission into tertiary institutions.
Okebukola said the initiative has recorded remarkable success since its inception, with an average of 53 per cent of participating candidates gaining admission into tertiary institutions annually.
According to him, 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 using 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.
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He noted that many beneficiaries have excelled in competitive programmes, including Law and other professional courses, demonstrating that disability is not a barrier to academic excellence when the right support systems are in place.
Speaking on the theme of the stakeholder engagement, Okebukola said participants reviewed the achievements of the initiative over the past decade while exploring how Artificial Intelligence (AI) could be leveraged 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 access and inclusion in higher education,” he said.
As part of activities marking the 10th anniversary of JEOG, two books were unveiled. One of them, A Peep into the Future of Higher Education in Nigeria, was produced in honour of Oloyede and features contributions from 44 scholars on the future 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.
Okebukola said the manual was developed after extensive consultations with 468 scholars and underage students already enrolled in Nigerian universities. He explained that it addresses challenges such as bullying, emotional adjustment and social integration to help young students thrive academically and socially.
Stakeholders at the event paid glowing tributes to Oloyede for his contributions to Nigeria’s education sector. Among them was the Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), 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.
JAMB also honoured outstanding members of its staff, particularly personnel in the Information Technology Department, for their dedication and innovation in improving the Board’s operations.
Several tertiary institutions were equally recognised for their commitment to admitting and supporting candidates with disabilities, reinforcing JAMB’s drive to promote a more inclusive higher education system in Nigeria.
