The Federal Government on Monday, August 26 enforced the 18-year age limit for candidates who want to take the National Examination Council (NECO) and West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) examinations.
This means underaged candidates would no longer be able to sit for these examinations.
The Education Minister, Tahir Mamman revealed this while speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics program on August 25.
Here are the things you need to know about this new age limit.
1. 18 is the age limit for taking WASSCE, NECO exams
According to Mamman, 18 is the age limit for candidates writing the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) by NECO. The policy will be strictly enforced starting in 2025.
2. It also applies to UTME candidates
He also added that the policy will also be applied to candidates sitting for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), administered by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).
He said:
“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.
3. It is not a new policy
He also clarified that the age requirement was not new but an existing policy. He also provided a breakdown of the education system from early childhood to the university stage.
“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.
“So, 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.”
This decision to implement the age limit came after objections and appeals from stakeholders present at the 2024 admission policy meeting organised by JAMB, in Abuja on Thursday, July 18.