JAMB waives fee, audio books for physically challenged candidates in 2024 UTME

The Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board (JAMB) has declared that the 2024 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) will be devoid of registration fees for individuals with disabilities.

During a recent media interactive session heralding the commencement of the 2024 UTME registration, Prof Ishaq Oloyede, the Registrar of JAMB, unveiled this compassionate measure aimed at fostering inclusivity in higher education.

To ensure equal opportunities for all candidates, JAMB will be distributing application documents free of charge to persons with disabilities.

Notably, for visually impaired candidates, the board will provide audio books, a pioneering move conceived during the first National Conference on Equal Opportunity of Access to Higher Education in Nigeria.

Prof Oloyede elucidated that the audio books available in popular formats such as MP3, WMV, and WMA, are digitally adapted reading materials compatible with various devices capable of streaming audio records.

The intent is to facilitate a comprehensive understanding of subjects or texts by blind candidates.

In a bid to create a level playing field, diagrams will be omitted from questions designed for blind candidates in the upcoming UTME.

Additionally, for the 2024 examination, an electronic copy of the reading text will be furnished free of charge to candidates across all categories.

The move towards inclusivity is a significant stride in JAMB’s commitment to providing equitable access to higher education.

As the registration for the 2024 UTME kicks off on January 15, candidates opting out of the mock examination will pay a registration fee of N6,200, while those participating in the mock will be charged N7,700.

This fee structure underscores JAMB’s dedication to ensuring a fair and accessible educational landscape for all aspiring scholars.