JAMB Scraps Special Concessions for Albino Candidates Ahead of 2026 UTME Over Abuse

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26/01/26 • 82 Vues • 0 Partager • Publié dans Autre

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has abolished special concessions and registration procedures previously granted to candidates with albinism for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), citing widespread abuse of the privilege to perpetrate examination malpractice.

The Registrar of JAMB, Prof. Isaq Oloyede, disclosed this after a meeting between the Board’s management and Commissioners for Education from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), held in Ikeja, Lagos. He said the decision followed growing concerns that the special consideration was being manipulated by some candidates to bypass safeguards.

According to Oloyede, several individuals exploited technology to falsely present themselves as albino candidates in order to enjoy registration advantages.

“We have stopped some concessions we gave albino candidates because some are using artificial intelligence to manipulate the registration process to look like they are albinos due to the consideration we gave them,” Oloyede said.

He revealed that more than 7,000 candidates claimed to be albinos in the previous admission year, a figure the Board considered suspicious and inconsistent with national data, prompting a policy review.

“We have stopped special registration procedures for albinos. All candidates will now be treated equally without special treatment,” the registrar added.

At the meeting, JAMB also warned faith-based tertiary institutions to clearly declare their religious status during admissions, stressing that it is deceptive to present as secular and later impose religious rules on students. Oloyede noted that institutions found engaging in malpractice or misleading practices would face sanctions.

He explained that the meeting was convened to assess previous admission exercises and strengthen the integrity of the UTME and admission process nationwide.

Stakeholders have expressed mixed reactions to the decision. A disability rights advocate, Mrs. Aisha Mohammed, cautioned that genuine candidates with albinism could be unfairly affected.

“While it is unfortunate that some people abused the system, we should be careful not to punish genuine candidates with albinism who truly need support,” she said.

However, an education expert, Prof. Yusuf Adamu, welcomed the move, describing it as timely.

“It is high time JAMB took firm steps to curb malpractice and protect the credibility of the examination process,” he stated.

Prof. Oloyede assured that JAMB would continue engaging stakeholders to ensure that the UTME remains fair, transparent and credible for all candidates.

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