The Federal Government has announced a new regulation prohibiting underage candidates from taking the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) secondary school leaving exams.
Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, revealed this update during his appearance on Channels Television’s ‘Sunday Politics’ on Sunday night.
He emphasized that both WAEC and NECO are now required to enforce an age limit of 18 for candidates taking the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE).
Prof. Mamman clarified that this is not a new policy but a reinforcement of existing rules.
He explained: “The age requirement is 18 years. At a meeting with JAMB in July, it was decided to use this year as a notice period for parents. Although JAMB will admit students below the age limit this year, from next year, only candidates who meet the 18-year requirement will be accepted into Nigerian universities.”
He continued: “To be clear, this is not a new policy. It has been in place for a long time. Considering the typical duration of schooling from early childhood through to senior secondary school, students generally reach the age of 17 and a half by the time they are ready for university admission. We are simply reminding everyone of the existing regulations.”
Furthermore, Prof. Mamman confirmed that NECO and WAEC will enforce this rule strictly moving forward, ensuring that only those who have completed the required number of years in each educational level will be allowed to sit for their exams.
The minister also reiterated that the age requirement for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), administered by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), remains at 18 years.
Discussion about this post