We Have Enforced 18-Year Age Limits For WASSCE, NECO Exams – FG

The Federal Government has come out to prohibit individuals under the age of 18 from taking part in the National Examinations Council and West African Examinations Council exams.

The Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman recently had his say while speaking to the press, and Nigerians have been reacting.

According to him, the federal government has directed WAEC, which conducts the West African Senior School Certificate Examination and NECO, which oversees the Senior School Certificate Examination to enforce the 18-year age requirement for candidates wishing to take these exams.

He added that it is not a new educational policy as it has actually been existing for a long time.

His words, “It is 18 (years). What we did at the meeting that we had with JAMB (in July) was to allow this year and for it to serve as a kind of notice for parents that this year, JAMB will admit students who are below that age but from next year, JAMB is going to insist that anybody applying to go to university in Nigeria meets the required age which is 18.

For the avoidance of doubt, this is not a new policy; this is a policy that has been there for a long time.

Even basically if you compute the number of years pupils, and learners are supposed to be in school, the number you will end up with is 17 and a half – from early child care to primary school to junior secondary school and then senior secondary school. You will end up with 17 and a half by the time they are ready for admission.

Yo, we are not coming up with new policy contrary to what some people are saying; we are just simply reminding people of what is existing. In any case, NECO and WAEC, henceforth will not be allowing underage children to write their examinations. In other words, if somebody has not spent the requisite number of years in that particular level of study, WAEC and NECO will not allow them to write the examination.”

WOW.