2025: JAMB commences UTME for special needs candidates, highlights Kano centre achievements
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has reaffirmed its commitment to inclusive education by conducting the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) for candidates with special needs across the country.
Speaking during a media interactive session at the Bayero University Kano, BUK, School of Continuing Education, the Coordinator of the JAMB Equal Opportunity Group (JEOG) Kano Centre, Prof. Muhammad Yahuza Bello, described the initiative as “a bold step towards ensuring that no candidate is left behind in the pursuit of higher education.”
SolaceBase reports that Prof. Bello explained that candidates with disabilities such as visual impairment, partial blindness, autism, Down syndrome, and albinism are unable to sit for the regular UTME in Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres.
“At CBT centres, the examination is displayed on computer screens and candidates choose options, but many of our candidates cannot read from screens or use keyboards,” he said.
To address this, JAMB, through the JEOG platform introduced by Registrar Prof. Is-haq Oloyede in 2017, provides specially tailored examination conditions.
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“Our goal is to eliminate barriers to education. By tailoring the UTME to accommodate candidates with disabilities, we are not just conducting an examination; we are sending a clear message that every Nigerian matters,” Prof. Oloyede emphasised.
Prof. Bello stated that over 500 candidates are participating nationwide in 11 specialised JEOG centres, including those in Abuja, Ado-Ekiti, Bauchi, Benin City, Birnin Kebbi, Enugu, Jos, Kano, Lagos, Oyo, and Yola.
At the Kano Centre alone, 92 candidates from Kano, Jigawa, Katsina, Zamfara, and parts of Kaduna State are sitting for the examination.
He stressed that the examination maintains the same quality and standard as the regular UTME.
“When these candidates gain admission into tertiary institutions, they are not going to be taught differently. Therefore, their entry examinations must also remain rigorous and competitive.
“The only adjustments involve replacing questions that rely on visual interpretation, such as diagrams or charts, with appropriate alternatives,” he stated.
Highlighting a notable achievement, Prof. Bello announced that for the first time, special needs candidates would be writing Computer Studies among their subjects.
“One candidate here in Kano and another in Lagos are pioneering this inclusion. It’s a major breakthrough for us,” he noted.
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In a goodwill message, Chairman of JEOG, Prof. Peter Okebukola, praised the initiative, describing it as “a testament to our nation’s dedication to inclusivity” under Professor Oloyede’s leadership, which has transformed JAMB into “a beacon of hope for inclusive education in Africa.”
Speaking on operational challenges, Prof. Bello recalled the centre’s earlier efforts to offer a Braille version of the exam last year.
“While we spent considerable effort transcribing the papers, many candidates found the modern contracted Braille format unfamiliar and preferred the use of Braille machines instead,” he explained.
He commended the continued support received from Bayero University Kano’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Adamu Abbas, his management team, the School of Continuing Education, and the Department of Special Education, all of whom made organizing the examinations smoother.
The coordinator noted that as part of the examination body welfare package, JAMB provides free accommodation, feeding, and transportation for candidates during the examination period.
Additionally, candidates who meet certain criteria, including uploading O’ Level results with at least five credits, receive refunds of their registration fees.
“Seven candidates from the Kano Centre have already qualified for the refund this year,” Prof. Bello confirmed.
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Highlighting past successes, he mentioned a former Kano Centre candidate who scored over 240 in the UTME and is now in her final year studying Dietetics and Nutrition at Bayero University, Kano.
“She is a shining example of what our candidates can achieve, and she will be here to inspire the new batch,” Prof. Bello said.
The 2025 UTME for special needs candidates marks another milestone in JAMB’s quest for an inclusive education system where every Nigerian child, regardless of physical or cognitive limitations, has the chance to succeed.
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