Nigerian Govt Clarifies Policy on Underage Students Writing WAEC, NECO Exams

The Federal Ministry of Education has clarified that students under the age of 18 are not prohibited from sitting for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) or the National Examinations Council (NECO) exams.

This clarification comes after widespread confusion regarding comments made by Education Minister Prof. Tahir Mamman last month.

The Minister of State for Education, Dr. Yusuf Sununu, addressed the issue while speaking with journalists during the 2024 International Literacy Day event in Abuja.

He explained that the public had misunderstood the earlier remarks, which led to the misconception that students below 18 years would be banned from writing the exams.

Dr. Sununu emphasized that the comments made by Prof. Mamman on August 25 referred to the recommended age of 18 for entry into tertiary institutions, in line with the country’s 6:3:3:4 education system. He expressed disappointment at the public’s misinterpretation of the minister’s statements.

“The minister was actually speaking about the age requirement for university admission, not for secondary school exams,” Sununu said.

“It was shocking to hear that a university in Nigeria admitted children as young as 10, 11, and 12 years old. This is not the standard, although there can be exceptions for highly gifted students.”

He further clarified that while there may be exceptionally talented children capable of meeting university-level academic challenges at a younger age, these cases are rare.

The ministry, he said, is considering developing guidelines for identifying such children to ensure parents do not feel their children’s opportunities are being unfairly restricted.

“Nobody said that a child cannot write WAEC, NECO, or any other exam unless they are 18 years old. This is a complete misconception of what was communicated,” Sununu stressed.

He added that discussions are ongoing, both within the ministry and the National Assembly, to ensure appropriate regulations are put in place regarding university entry age while ensuring talented students are recognized without being unfairly excluded.