No fewer than 88 people with visual impairments have sat for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) in Kano as a process to further their studies at various tertiary institutions across the country.
During the examination, the candidates, including males and females, were provided with different gadgets, including typewriters, braille machines, and braille, to ease the process and conduct the exam successfully.
Speaking at the event, the Kano State Coordinator of JEOG, Prof. Muhammad Yahuza Bello, said the 88 students were drawn from different parts of the North and that Kano has the highest number of candidates, representing 26.12 percent of the total blind candidates for this year.
According to him, a total of 337 candidates with blindness were registered to sit for the exam across 11 centers in the country.
“This effort is in furtherance of Professor Oleyede’s-led JAMB to ensure that no eligible Nigerian is denied the opportunity to take the UTME and acquire higher education regardless of disability.
“Since inception in 2017, the JEOG has processed over 3,300 candidates for the UTME, with more than a third admitted to courses of their choice in higher education institutions in Nigeria.
“In 2019, of the 390 candidates, a total of 175 (44.8%) were given admission.” “Also in 2021, a total of 110 candidates with blindness were given admission,” he said.
He added that reports from universities indicated that the special needs candidates compete favorably with their normal counterparts, adding that last year one of the female blind candidates scored 243 points in JAMB and is happily studying at BUK.
On their part, the candidates appreciated the program under JAMB for giving them the opportunity to further their studies and engage in society like normal people, saying it was a great motivation for them.
Fatima Ibrahim from Katsina State said, “I want to study English if I get the required points, and I hope to be a lecturer in the future.
“We thank them for providing the opportunity free of charge; we were accommodated for three days in a hotel, and we got transportation and other packages.”
Daily Trust
