By Ngozi Nwankwo
To ensuring inclusive education, the Minister of State for Education, Dr. Yusuf Tanko Sununu ha there is the need to provide the necessary physical and digital infrastructure to support various access and learning needs of all students.
Sununu said that tertiary institutions should not only be admitting students with disabilities but also be taking absolute care with regard to accessibility in their campuses through the addition of necessary ramps, elevators, assistive technologies, and other accommodations that would make learning possible and comfortable for all.
The Minister gave this advice at the first Africa Regional Conference On Equal Opportunity Of Access To Higher Education, ARCEAHED, held in Abuja, on Tuesday.
The Conference, according to the Minister, is an important milestone for Africa’s commitment to full inclusion of persons with disabilities in all aspects of life: educationally, economically, and socially. Our efforts, policies, and collective will must be steadfast in dismantling the barriers that have historically marginalised our fellow citizens
He also said teaching aids such as braille, interpreters in sign language, and digital materials prepared for various skills should be provided for students with disabilities.
Stressing the need for right to economic opportunities for students with disabilities, Sununu said tertiary institutions should create opportunities between institutions of education, industries, and governments to develop ways that would take persons with disabilities from education to employment.
“These should be part of a wider approach in terms of people with disabilities empowerment, skills development, vocational training, entrepreneurship programs, and inclusive hiring policies so that they can contribute to and benefit from economic development,” he explained.
The Minister said governments across Africa must play important roles in shaping policies that support inclusiveness at all levels, adding that, enactment and implementation of laws to protect the rights of persons with disabilities ensuring they have equal access to education, health, and employment facilities is very essential.
“We must, therefore, support the inclusion of persons with disabilities in decision-making positions both in government and at all levels of society, as they are supposed to represent their experiences and unique challenges which cannot be represented by others in the shaping of policies and practices responsive to their needs.
” As we discuss inclusivity, we must also address financial constraints students with disabilities face through the provision of scholarships, endowments, interest-free loans and grants. In line with this, the recent establishment of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund has included provisions for persons with disabilities, this shows how committed we are to tearing down barriers to this inclusive system in education where access is given to all citizens.
” Also, the Ministry through the Federal Scholarship Board have provisions for grants which an be accessed by all without discrimination,” he said.
Sununu, however, assured that government under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu would continue to promote inclusivity in the education sector.
He explained that the waiver of application fees for the UTME for PWDs during the registration process, as outlined in the Nigerian Education Sector Roadmap launched in 2023 was a key reform that is already yielding positive results.
“Iam aware that this policy has significantly increased the number of PWDs who participated in the 2024 UTME.
“JAMB also sought and obtained approval at the 67th National Council on Education meeting to exempt candidates with disabilities from Post/UTME Screening. I, therefore, reiterate, as already announced, that all tertiary institutions in Nigeria are to offer admissions to all candidates with disabilities who possess minimum admissible scores into the programmes of their choice after writing UTME.
“This initiative, together with the ambitious target to enroll 825,000 students with disabilities cumulatively over the next five years, demonstrates Our unwavering commitment to realizing equal access to education.
According to him, the DOTS policy takes into consideration the unique needs of the vulnerable groups vis-à-vis their needs for quality education and assurance that every child, including those with disability challenges, will have adequate opportunities to acquire adequate skills to realize their full potential later in life.
He, therefore, expressed hope that the Conference would come up with solutions, strategies, and policies that will guide in creating a more inclusive and equitable future for Africa.
Speaking earlier, the Registrar, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board,JAMB, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede affirmed that education remains the cornerstone of self-actualisation, saying and it is a collective responsibility to ensure that every individual, regardless of his/her ability, has access to higher education.
He said to ensure equal access to higher education, JAMB is dedicated to fostering fora that facilitate discussions on innovative strategies to enhance educational opportunities for all citizens, particularly those with disabilities.
He explained that over the years, the Board has partnered with esteemed scholars to ensure fair examination and admission processes for this segment of the society.
He further said, “In our commitment to creating an enabling environment that guarantees equitable access to tertiary education, the Board has reduced the registration fee for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination from Five Thousand Naira (N5,000) to Three Thousand Five Hundred Naira (N3,500).
” To further support candidates with disabilities but with 5 O’ level credits in Senior Secondary Certificate, we have, in addition to paying other charges (such as CBT centre fee), provided application documents free of charge. For the visually impaired and other candidates with disabilities who require special examination settings, we have also provided transport supplementation, free accommodation and transit for them and their guides during the examination process,” he said.
Oloyede also hinted that, to ease the difficulties and encourage access for candidates with special needs JAMB established eleven adapted centres across the country, expanded the special services to, in addition to the hearing impaired who are mainstreamed, candidates with autism, mobility impairment, paralysis, Down syndrome, dyslexia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, albinism, cerebral palsy and other disfigurements.
“The Board through the encouragement and support of JEOG, held a national conference in September 2023 which led to, among others, the establishment of Disability Support Unit in JAMB and in most tertiary institutions in Nigeria as well as the promotion of the study of Disability Support Services to enlighten the population on the peculiarity and needs of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) on the campuses and in the society.
Inclusive policies to cater for the mainstream deaf-candidates have also been enacted and implemented. They include the policy that all instructions must be written while the hearing impaired in each session are clearly identified to the proctors.
“The UTME reading text has also been rendered into audio-book for the visually impaired while JEOG has been working on adaptation of items to suit the peculiarities of the candidates particularly in mathematical and graphic sciences. Fully braille option was last year made an alternative to Read-Aloud. Efforts are on to ensure the automation of the examination processes for all options available to the candidates,” said JAMB Registrar.
Oloyede, however advised Nigeria to consider the adoption of Nigerian Sign Language (NSL) as the second national official language, saying this would be a major demonstration of empathy for the large number of fellow compatriots with hearing impairments.