The Federal Government has declared that starting next year, only candidates aged 18 and above will be permitted to sit for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) exams. This directive, aimed at enforcing an existing policy, was confirmed by the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, during an interview on Channels Television’s ‘Sunday Politics’ program.
Prof. Mamman emphasized that this is not a new policy but a re-enforcement of an existing rule that aligns with the natural progression of students through the education system. “By the time a student completes their primary, junior secondary, and senior secondary education, they should be about 17 and a half years old. Therefore, enforcing the 18-year age limit ensures that only those who have completed the requisite number of years at each level of education are eligible to sit for these exams,” he stated.
He also clarified that this policy will be strictly applied to both WAEC and NECO exams, as well as the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB). For the 2024 academic year, students under 18 will no longer be allowed to take these examinations.
The minister added, “We are not introducing something new. This policy has been in place for a long time, and it is only being re-emphasized to ensure that educational standards are maintained across the board.”
This decision comes as part of broader efforts by the Federal Government to standardize the education system and ensure that students are adequately prepared for tertiary education.
