The Federal Government of Nigeria has reinforced an existing policy prohibiting individuals under the age of 18 from participating in the National Examinations Council (NECO) and West African Examinations Council (WAEC) exams. This directive was disclosed by the Minister of Education, Professor Tahir Mamman, during an appearance on Channels Television’s ‘Sunday Politics’ program.
Professor Mamman clarified that the government has instructed both WAEC, which administers the West African Senior School Certificate Examination, and NECO, responsible for the Senior School Certificate Examination, to strictly enforce the 18-year minimum age requirement for candidates. He emphasized that this mandate is not a new initiative but rather a reiteration of an existing policy.
Additionally, the age requirement for students taking the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), remains unchanged at 18 years.
According to Professor Mamman, JAMB will still permit students under 18 to apply this year, but starting next year, the 18-year age limit will be strictly enforced for university admissions.
He further explained that, based on the expected progression of students through the education system—from early childhood education through primary, junior secondary, and senior secondary school—students should naturally be around 17 and a half years old by the time they are ready for university admission.
Thus, this enforcement is merely a reminder of the existing policy, not a new regulation. Consequently, NECO and WAEC will no longer allow underage candidates to sit for their exams unless they have completed the necessary years of study.
