No fewer than 4,216 candidates with disabilities have secured 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).
The Chairman of JEOG, Peter Okebukola, disclosed this on Wednesday during the 2026 JAMB National Stakeholder Engagement on Inclusivity and Higher Education held at the headquarters of the National Universities Commission in Abuja.
JEOG, an initiative established by the outgoing JAMB Registrar, Is-haq Oloyede, was created to ensure that candidates with disabilities have equal access to the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and admission into tertiary institutions across the country.
Okebukola said the initiative has recorded remarkable success over the past decade, noting that an average of 53 per cent of participating candidates gain admission into universities, polytechnics and colleges of education annually.
He explained that the beneficiaries include candidates with visual impairment, autism, Down syndrome, albinism and other disabilities.
According to him, the programme maintains the same academic standards for all candidates, stressing that persons with disabilities sit for the same UTME questions as every other applicant.
“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.
Okebukola noted that many beneficiaries have gone on to study highly competitive courses, including law and other professional programmes, demonstrating that disability is not a barrier to academic excellence when adequate support is available.
Speaking on the theme of the stakeholder engagement, he said participants reviewed the achievements of the programme over the last decade while exploring how Artificial Intelligence (AI) could be leveraged to strengthen inclusive higher education in Nigeria.
He explained that AI has the potential to improve accessibility, learning support and the overall efficiency of inclusive education for students with disabilities.
As part of activities marking the programme’s anniversary, two books were unveiled. One of the publications, 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 book, Early Start, Great Finish: Survival and Success – Manual for Underage Students in Nigerian Universities, authored by Okebukola, offers guidance for parents, lecturers, administrators and other stakeholders on supporting exceptionally gifted students admitted into universities before the age of 16.
The event also featured tributes to Oloyede from stakeholders, including the Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, Sonny Echono, who commended the outgoing JAMB Registrar for reforms that have enhanced the credibility of the UTME and expanded access to higher education for persons with disabilities.
JAMB also presented awards to outstanding members of staff, particularly personnel in its Information Technology Department, in recognition of their innovation and dedication to improving the Board’s operations. Several tertiary institutions were equally honoured for their commitment to admitting and supporting students with disabilities, reinforcing JAMB’s drive towards a more inclusive higher education system in Nigeria.
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