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Candidates sit for UTME examination
No fewer than 577 blind candidates are set to take the 2024 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination UTME in 11 centres nationwide.
Chairman of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board Equal Alternative Group, Emeritus Professor Peter Okebukola, made this identified on Thursday whereas addressing newsmen in preparation for the 2024 UTME for blind candidates and others with particular wants assigned to JEOG.
Registrar of JAMB, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, arrange the JAMB Equal Alternative Group in 2017 for efficient dealing with of blind candidates and others with particular wants.
Okebukola mentioned, “This yr and for the primary time, JAMB, by JEOG, will implement the bimodal system of UTME administration.
“This includes Totally-Braille and Totally Learn-Aloud. Candidates have a selection of mode. JEOG has been resourced by JAMB to make the expertise of the 2 modes of take a look at administration nice for the candidates.
“With a complete of 577 blind candidates, the 2024 UTME presents the very best quantity. We had 348 in 2022, and 313 in 2023. The 2024 enhance is essentially attributable to elevated advocacy by JEOG, a course of which shall be bolstered within the coming years.” he mentioned.
Okebukola, who can also be the President of the International College Community for Innovation (GUNi-Africa), described Oloyede as one of many strongest pillars of equal alternative of entry to larger schooling in Africa.
He mentioned: “Within the final 4 days, I’ve conferred with members of GUNi-Africa on how blind candidates aspiring for larger schooling in Africa are handled of their nations and all are in settlement that Nigeria, by Professor Oloyede, stands clearly out as the very best.”
Talking additional, Okebukola famous that “this yr, all blind candidates who’re prima facie certified for admission to establishments of upper studying in Nigeria (that’s with a minimum of 5 O-level credit) can have the price of their UTME registration refunded on-site in the course of the examination.”
The previous Govt Secretary of Nationwide Universities Fee mentioned the opposite 5 “goodies” that Oloyede has been showering on the candidates since 2017 are- free resort lodging for the blind candidates and their guides, free Braille slate and stylus, customised t-shirts; free meals by the examination interval and transport supplementation for the blind candidates and their guides.
“No different African nation comes close to providing such form gestures,” he mentioned.
Okebukola mentioned: “Because of this I’ve nominated Professor Oloyede for the CNN Heroes Award. We’re mobilising the entire of Africa to assist the nomination for 2024 and we is not going to cease nominating him till God makes it attainable for him to be conferred with the award which he very a lot deserves.”
On the distribution of the candidates and the centre coordinators a lot of whom are former Vice-Chancellors, Okebukola famous that “Kano has the very best variety of 138 with Professor Muhammad Yahuza Bello, former Vice-Chancellor of Bayero College as Coordinator.
That is adopted by Lagos with 88 candidates with Professor Olanrewaju Adigun Fagbohun, former VC of LASU as coordinator. Others are Abuja (60)- Professor Sunday Ododo; Ado-Ekiti (37)- Professor Rasheed Aderinoye, former Govt Secretary, Nationwide Fee for Nomadic Training; Bauchi (44)- Professor Salisu Shehu present VC of Al-Istiqama College, Sumaila, Kano; Benin (26)- Professor Samuel G. Odewumi; Enugu (66)- Professor Emeritus Mosto Onuoha (former DVC Alex Ekwueme Federal College, Ndufo-Alike; Kebbi (21)- Professor Asabe Kabir; Oyo (57)- Professor Taoheed Adedoja, former Minister of Sports activities and Particular Duties; Jos (24)- Professor Nasiru Maiturare, former VC of IBB College; and Yola (16)- Professor Muhammad Yakasai, VC, Sule Lamido College, Kafin Hausa.
He famous that the examination has been scheduled for April 22 and 23 within the eleven centres and includes 20 topics.
He defined that blind candidates take the identical take a look at papers as common candidates and requirements are usually not lowered in any type.
