By OYINTUTU OYINKOLADE

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has reaffirmed its commitment to expanding access to higher education for persons with disabilities through innovation, collaboration and the deployment of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

The Registrar of JAMB, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, stated this on Wednesday in Abuja at the National Engagement on Inclusive Higher Education and Artificial Intelligence organised by the JAMB Equal Opportunity Group (JEOG).

The programme, themed “Bridging Equality Gaps: Artificial Intelligence and Inclusive Higher Education in Nigeria,” brought together stakeholders to explore how AI could improve access to higher education for persons with disabilities.

Oloyede said JAMB established JEOG about 10 years ago as one of several specialised committees created to strengthen the board’s operations and provide dedicated support for candidates with special needs.

According to him, the engagement provides an opportunity to assess the achievements of the past decade and chart a new course for advancing inclusive higher education in Nigeria.

“10 years ago, we decided to look for people who are competent beyond doubt to handle each of our major tasks.

“This engagement is to review what we have done, identify what more can be done and ensure that we move to the next stage,” he said.

Also speaking, the Chairman of JEOG, Prof. Peter Okebukola, said the group had, over the past decade, supported more than 4,200 candidates with disabilities to sit the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

Okebukola said beneficiaries received free transportation, accommodation, assistive devices and other support services designed to ensure they competed on an equal footing with other candidates.

“Under the directive of Oloyede, JEOG has had the privilege of enabling well over 4,200 candidates with special needs to sit the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination under conditions appropriate to their circumstances.

“For every candidate JEOG serves, several thousands of naira was invested by Oloyede to provide free transportation, free hotel accommodation and other necessary support,” he said.

Okebukola described Artificial Intelligence as the next frontier in advancing inclusive higher education, saying its deliberate application could remove long-standing barriers faced by persons with disabilities.

“For us in JEOG, Artificial Intelligence does not benefit persons with disabilities by accident.

“It benefits them only when its design is deliberate and when technology developers work closely with special education professionals,” he said.

He added that AI would increasingly support activities across the education value chain, from admission processes to learning support and campus accessibility.

Also, the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Abdullahi Ribadu, represented by the Director of Research, Innovation and Information Technology, Dr Lawal Faruk, said AI was transforming education globally.

“We must prepare graduates for an AI-driven world while ensuring that no learner is left behind.

“For many students with disabilities, AI has the potential to remove barriers and open new opportunities,” he said.

Ribadu said the commission had embedded inclusion in its reforms through the Core Curriculum and Minimum Academic Standards (CCMAS), while promoting digital literacy, innovation and emerging technologies across Nigerian universities.

Also speaking, the Executive Secretary, National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Prof. Idris Bugaje, represented by the General Manager of the NBTE Centre of Excellence for TVET, Aliyu Hassan, said AI was reshaping education and skills development.

He said the board had constituted a committee to develop a national strategy for integrating AI into Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), ensuring its adoption remained transparent, fair, accountable and inclusive.

“The board is developing a National Diploma in Artificial Intelligence and reviewing the Higher National Diploma curriculum to align with emerging technologies and industry needs,” he said.

As part of activities marking the event, JAMB honoured institutions that admitted the highest number of candidates with disabilities during the 2025 admission exercise.

The institutions included the Federal College of Education (Special), Oyo; the University of Lagos; the University of Nigeria, Nsukka; the University of Jos and Lagos State University.

Others are Adekunle Ajasin University; the University of Benin; Bayero University, Kano; Nnamdi Azikiwe University; and Ahmadu Bello University.

The board also recognised three institutions for advancing AI-driven inclusive education initiatives, honoured the three highest-performing UTME candidates with disabilities, and presented meritorious service awards to outstanding members of staff.

The event also featured the unveiling of “A Peep into the Future of Higher Education in Nigeria,” a book published in honour of Oloyede and edited by Okebukola.

The “Early Start, Great Finish: Survival and Success Manual for Underage Nigerian University Students,” authored by Okebukola, was also unveiled. (NAN)

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