The Federal Government of Nigeria has announced that underage candidates will no longer be allowed to participate in secondary school leaving examinations conducted by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO).
This decision was revealed by the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, during an appearance on Channels Television’s program ‘Sunday Politics’ on Sunday night.
Prof. Mamman emphasized that both WAEC and NECO are now required to enforce an age limit of 18 years for candidates sitting for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE), respectively.
He clarified that this is not a new policy, but rather a reinforcement of existing rules that have been in place for some time.The minister stated: “The age limit is 18 years. During our meeting with JAMB in July, we agreed to allow this year to serve as a notice period for parents.
This year, JAMB will still admit students who are below the age of 18, but from next year onward, JAMB will strictly enforce the requirement that all university applicants in Nigeria must be at least 18 years old.
“He further explained that this policy is not new but has always existed, and the current efforts are aimed at reminding the public of its existence. He noted, “If you calculate the number of years a student is expected to spend in school, from early childhood education through primary school, junior secondary school, and then senior secondary school, the total comes to about 17 and a half years.
Therefore, by the time they are ready for university admission, they should be around 18 years old.”Prof. Mamman reiterated that the government is not introducing a new policy contrary to what some have suggested. Instead, they are simply reinforcing an existing rule. “From now on, NECO and WAEC will not allow underage students to sit for their examinations.
In other words, if a student has not spent the required number of years in each level of education, WAEC and NECO will not permit them to take the examination,” he added.
Additionally, the minister reaffirmed that the age limit for candidates taking the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), administered by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), remains at 18 years.
