FG Reaffirms 18-Year Age Requirement for NECO, WAEC Exams

The Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, on Sunday, announced that underage candidates will no longer be permitted to sit for secondary school leaving examinations.

EKO HOT BLOG reports that he made this statement during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics program.

Mamman explained that the Federal Government has directed the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), which conducts the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), and the National Examinations Council (NECO), responsible for the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE), to enforce an age limit of 18 years for candidates eligible to take these exams.

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The minister also reaffirmed that the age requirement for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), organized by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), remains 18 years.

He stated, “The age limit is 18. During our meeting with JAMB in July, we decided to allow this year as a notice period for parents. JAMB will admit students below the age of 18 this year, but starting next year, it will be mandatory for any university applicant in Nigeria to meet the 18-year age requirement.

“For clarity, this is not a new policy; it has been in place for a long time. If you calculate the years students typically spend in school—from early childhood care through primary, junior secondary, and senior secondary school—they would be about 17 and a half years old by the time they are ready for university admission.

“So, we are not introducing a new policy, contrary to what some may believe; we are simply reinforcing the existing one.

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“Moreover, NECO and WAEC will no longer allow underage students to take their exams. In other words, if a student has not completed the required number of years at a particular level of study, they will not be permitted to take the examination.”

The minister further outlined the expected progression of students through the education system. According to him, early childhood care lasts for five years, with pupils starting primary school at age six, spending six years there, and then moving to junior secondary school at age 12. After three years in junior secondary, they progress to senior secondary school at age 15, where they spend another three years before qualifying for university at age 18.

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