By Godfrey AKON
Ahead of its first Africa Regional Conference on Equal Opportunity of Access to Higher Education, ARCEAHED, starting on Tuesday, September 17, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board’s Equal Opportunity Group, JEOG, has reaffirmed its commitment towards advancing equal opportunity access to higher education for all, with particular emphasis on persons with disabilities, PWD.
JAMB Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, who addressed a world press conference on the eve of the event in Abuja on Monday, reminded stakeholders of the collective responsibility to ensure that no individual is left behind in the quest for access to quality education.
Oloyede noted that the regional conference, which is expected to attract participants from Ethiopia, Malawi, Egypt and other African countries, is aimed at enhancing access to higher education for persons with disabilities and improve the learning environment in tertiary institutions in Africa.
While stressing the exam body ‘s commitment to inclusive education, the JAMB boss said through the Equal Opportunity Group, the board has been at the forefront of ensuring that persons with disabilities are provided with a level playing field in accessing higher education.
He expressed belief that the conference will provide the platform to address critical challenges and explore innovative solutions that will help bridge the gap in educational access for PWDs.
“The theme of this year’s conference, “Advancing the Potentials of Persons with Disabilities in Educational and Economic Development,” speaks to the importance of harnessing the talents and contributions of PWDs in shaping the future of our society.
“Education is the cornerstone of personal empowerment, economic development, and national growth. When we invest in inclusive education, we invest in a brighter, more equitable future for all.
He noted that opening doors of opportunity was not enough, stressing that “we must ensure that these doors are accessible to everyone, irrespective of their physical, sensory, or cognitive abilities.”
He therefore called on all stakeholders – government agencies, educational institutions, the private sector, and civil society – to join hands with the group in its cause of ensuring inclusion and access to all in the country’s higher education Institutions.
“We recognize that education is a fundamental human right, and as such, we are dedicated to making higher education more inclusive and accessible across Africa,” he said.
Oloyede disclosed that JAMB has introduced several strategic initiatives aimed at promoting inclusivity within the education sector, including specialised testing centres where dedicated centres are provided for PWDs who cannot sit the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME, in the normal CBT centres to ensure they are not disadvantaged during examinations.
“The Board has reduced the registration fee for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination from N5,000 to N3,500 to ensure equitable access to tertiary education. To support candidates with disabilities with 5 O’ level credits in Senior Secondary Certificate, application documents are provided free of charge in addition to other fees (such as CBT centre fee).
“Furthermore, for visually impaired and other candidates with disabilities who require special examination settings, transport supplementation, free accommodation, and transit are provided during the examination process,” he said.
Also speaking, Chairman of JEOG, Prof Peter Okebukola, said Oloyede’s love for inclusivity was the reason for setting up the group after his assumption of office in 2016.
