FG Bans Students Under 18 from Registering for NECO, WAEC Exams

The Federal Government has moved to enforce the 18-year age limit for secondary school certificate examinations in the country.

The Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, announced this in a Channels Television’s programme, Sunday Politics.

He said the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and National Examinations Council (NECO) have been directed to comply with the directive.

Mamman stressed that the age limit for Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) candidates remains 18 years, and JAMB would no longer admit underage students from next year.

The minister clarified that this is not a new policy, but rather a reminder of existing regulations.

The move aims to ensure students complete the required number of years in school before sitting for exams.

Mamman explained that computing the typical duration of early child care, primary school, junior secondary school, and senior secondary school yields a total of 17.5 years, aligning with the 18-year age limit.

The minister 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.

“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.”