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From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, Anambra State, was on Monday rewarded by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) for providing more admission opportunities for people with disabilities in the 2022 admission year.
Former Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof Peter Okebukola, announced the award at the opening ceremony of the first national conference on equal education opportunity of access to higher education in Nigeria with the theme “towards increasing equal opportunity access to higher education in Nigeria” in Abuja.
Prof Okebukola said that available record indicated that UNIZIK provided admission opportunities for 51 persons with disabilities which was more than what the University of Ilorin and University of Calabar that won silver and bronze awards, respectively, provided.
Kaduna Polytechnic was also rewarded for offering admission opportunities to 13 persons with disabilities on Polytechnics category, while The Polytechnic, Ibadan, (7 candidates); and Kano State Polytechnics and Federal Polytechnics, Damaturu, (jointly) were also rewarded for providing opportunities for persons with disabilities.
Similarly, JAMB also rewarded Federal College of Education (Special), Oyo, for providing admission opportunities for 235 candidates within the admission period, while Federal Colleges of Education, Zaria, and Kano, were rewarded with silver and bronze, respectively.
JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, in his remarks, explained that the award was intended to appreciate institutions that have helped to offer education opportunities for people with disabilities, and also encourage others to give good consideration to these set of people to enable compete favorably in the society.
He said: “We will continue to appreciate institutions and individuals who play roles, no matter how small, to ensure that people with disabilities get quality education and orientations that would enable them be useful to themselves and the society.”
He encouraged the leadership of the people with disabilities to always inform JAMB and the leadership of various institutions about any challenge they might be facing in the cause of seeking admission so they can be attended it promptly.
Leadership of the people with disabilities, however, appreciated JAMB for the kind interventions and innovations that have increased the participation of people with disabilities
Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, who declared the conference open reiterated the commitment of the Federal Government to provide good platform for quality and affordable education for all irrespective of social status.
He challenged the participants to develop solutions that would increase the chances and opportunities for all persons irrespective of health status to secure university admission with a promise that he will be willing to inculcate their recommendations on the education agenda of the federal government.
