36 Blind Candidates Take UTME In Bauchi

A total of 36 blind candidates participated in the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) at the Bauchi Special JAMB Centre, held at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Yelwa Campus, under JAMB’s Equal Opportunity Group (EOG) programme.

Speaking to journalists during the exercise on Tuesday, the Coordinator of the UTME Bauchi Centre for the Blind, Prof. Ibrahim Ahmad of Bayero University Kano (BUK), said the programme was designed to enable blind and physically challenged candidates to access education and contribute meaningfully to national development.

Represented by the Centre’s deputy Coordinator, Prof. Hadiza Isah Bazza of the University of Maiduguri, he disclosed that the candidates were drawn from four Northeast states, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, and Yobe.

Prof. Bazza emphasised that persons living with disabilities are equally capable and deserve access to quality education. She called on the Bauchi State Government to establish a dedicated special education centre to support the blind and other physically challenged individuals.

According to her, such a facility would not only serve as a permanent UTME centre but also provide opportunities for skill acquisition, ultimately reducing street begging among persons with disabilities.

She noted that the call followed four successful years of conducting the examination in Bauchi without any major challenges, adding that a permanent centre would further enhance the initiative’s impact.

Prof. Bazza explained that the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) introduced the Equal Opportunity Group (EOG) programme for blind candidates in 2017, under the leadership of its Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede.

She said the initiative was established to support candidates with disabilities, particularly the blind, noting that many of them have the potential to excel academically if given the opportunity.

“The Registrar believes that no blind student who completes secondary education should be denied access to tertiary education,” she said.

She further disclosed that the examination is provided free of charge to blind candidates, with the government covering transportation, accommodation, feeding, and other logistics.

She urged greater grassroots awareness to encourage more persons with disabilities to take advantage of available educational opportunities.

For his part, Prof. Muhammad Baba of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, revealed that there are 11 special centres across the country catering to physically challenged candidates.

He called on the Bauchi State Government to support JAMB’s efforts and collaborate with the North East Development Commission (NEDC) to establish a modern, well-equipped centre for candidates in the region.