The Federal Government has reaffirmed its stance on the minimum age requirement for candidates sitting for the National Examinations Council (NECO) and West African Examinations Council (WAEC) exams, setting it at 18 years.
Prof. Tahir Mamman, Minister of Education, emphasized on Channels Television’s ‘Sunday Politics’ program that this policy is not new, but rather a reminder of existing regulations. He stated, “For the avoidance of doubt, this is not a new policy; this is a policy that has been there for a long time.”
Mamman also clarified that the age limit for candidates sitting for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) administered by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) remains 18 years. He noted that this year’s admission will serve as a notice to parents, with JAMB insisting on the required age from next year.
The Minister directed WAEC and NECO to enforce the 18-year age requirement, stating, “NECO and WAEC, henceforth will not be allowing underage children to write their examinations.” He explained that this means candidates must have spent the requisite number of years in their level of study to be eligible to write the exams.
