By love-89.com In a recent interview, Charles Ampitan shed light on the transformative role of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board’s (JAMB) Equal Opportunity Group (JEOG) in improving educational access for candidates with special needs in Nigeria.
Looking back to 2017, Ampitan identified that year as a turning point in the educational landscape of Nigeria, marking significant progress in expanding access to tertiary education for people with disabilities (PWDs). This shift was catalyzed by Professor Is-haq Oloyede, the Registrar of JAMB, who established the JEOG within his first year in office to create equitable opportunities for all candidates taking the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
Under the leadership of Professor Peter Okebukola, the 11-member JEOG was tasked with a vital mission: ensuring that disabilities would not impede a candidate’s assessment or admission process. Ampitan views this initiative as a critical advancement toward a more inclusive educational system, revolutionizing how candidates with disabilities are evaluated while simplifying operational processes, notably through the implementation of a nine-key operation for the UTME.
One of the most striking points in Ampitan’s insights is that there was no external pressure motivating Oloyede to initiate these changes prior to the establishment of JEOG. Nonetheless, the results have been outstanding; during the 2023/2024 academic session, candidates with disabilities gained admission to 133 institutions across Nigeria.
To support this progress, a consortium of distinguished academics with expertise in special education, along with relevant organizations, took charge of addressing the needs of disabled candidates. This collaboration has resulted in a marked increase in the logistics surrounding UTME administration and subsequent admission rates for these students. In 2021, under current leadership, JAMB established 11 designated examination centers in Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, fully accommodating candidates with disabilities by covering their transportation, accommodation costs, and providing guides.
JEOG has also had a pivotal role in creating accessible and stress-free testing environments for candidates with disabilities. Their concerted efforts led to a dramatic rise in enrollment statistics, with the number of disabled candidates entering higher education jumping from 44 in 2014 to 286 in 2021.
Moreover, Ampitan noted that JEOG has significantly raised public awareness of the challenges faced by PWDs through initiatives like Nigeria’s first national conference held in Abuja from September 24-27, 2023. Themed “Towards Increasing Equal Opportunity of Access to Higher Education in Nigeria,” the event attracted over 500 participants from various sectors of Nigerian society.
Following the success of this conference, JEOG is scheduled to host the first Africa Regional Conference on Equal Opportunity of Access to Higher Education (ARCEAHED) in Abuja on September 17-18, 2024. This upcoming conference, centered on “Advancing the Potential of Persons with Disabilities in Educational and Economic Development,” will evaluate the progress made by African nations concerning the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4, which advocates for inclusive and equitable quality education.
The conference aims to serve as a platform for sharing insights on admissions and retention strategies for disabled individuals and will present actionable solutions to improve access to quality higher education throughout Africa. Additionally, it will highlight the specific challenges faced by PWDs in Nigeria’s higher education sector, stimulating a renewed focus on necessary policy reforms to address inequalities experienced by groups such as the visually impaired and individuals with autism.
Ampitan also noted that the ARCEAHED event presents a significant opportunity for Professor Tahir Mamman, the Minister of Education, to reaffirm the federal government’s commitment to inclusive education through the introduction of the Ministerial Roadmap for Inclusive Access to Quality Higher Education in Nigeria (2024-2028).
The conference concluded with a communiqué advocating for key changes regarding admissions for PWDs, including an increase in available spaces and enhanced training for specialists capable of meeting the individual needs of disabled students.
In conclusion, Ampitan asserted that the inclusive education initiative spearheaded by JAMB and JEOG has emerged as a powerful platform for fostering national dialogue and devising strategies aimed at boosting enrollment for people with disabilities—not only in Nigeria but throughout the African continent.