By Kabir Yusuf
A total of 126 blind candidates were admitted into 40 Nigerian tertiary institutions last year, data from the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has shown.
Of the total students, 87 (about 69 per cent) were admitted into ten of the institutions, according to the admission data released by JAMB.
The Federal College of Education (Special) Oyo admitted the highest number of blind students with 27.
The University of Lagos followed with 11 students admitted. Aminu Saleh College of Education and Nnamdi Azikiwe University (also known as UNIZIK) admitted 9 students each.
Adekunle Ajasin University admitted 8; University of Jos, 6; St Augustine College of Education, 5; University of Ilorin, 5; Adeyemi College of Education, 4; Federal College of Education Umunze, 3.
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Both Alex Ekwueme Federal University and Alvan Ikoku College of Education admitted two visually impaired students each.
Also, Federal University Dutsin-Ma, Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, Gombe State University, Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Lagos State University, Nasarawa State University and University of Benin each admitted two students.
In 2019, of the 390 blind candidates, a total of 182 (46.6 per cent) were given admission. This was unprecedented in the history of admission of such a category of students into the Nigerian higher education system, JAMB said.
Most of the candidates were admitted to the University of Ilorin, Bayero University Kano, University of Lagos, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and the University of Abuja.
In 2018, 156 blind students gained admission; 2017, 145; 2016, 142; 2015, 72; and 44 in 2014.
JAMB appealed to all institutions to admit all the blind candidates that meet the minimum requirement for admission.