The Federal Government has announced that underage candidates will no longer be allowed to sit for secondary school leaving exams administered by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO).
During an appearance on Channels Television’s ‘Sunday Politics’ program, Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, emphasized that both WAEC and NECO must now strictly enforce an 18-year age limit for candidates taking the WASSCE and SSCE exams.
Prof. Mamman clarified that this is not a new policy but a reinforcement of existing regulations. “It is 18 years. This year serves as a notice for parents, but starting next year, JAMB will require all university applicants in Nigeria to be at least 18 years old,” he stated.
He further explained that this policy aligns with the standard educational timeline, where students typically reach 17 and a half years old after completing their schooling. He reiterated, “We are not introducing a new policy; we are simply enforcing the existing one. Henceforth, NECO and WAEC will not permit underage students to take their exams.”
The minister also reaffirmed that the age limit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), conducted by JAMB, remains set at 18 years.
Peoplesmind