Candidates Below 18 Years of Age Barred from Writing WAEC, NECO Exams — FG

The Federal Government of Nigeria has announced that candidates under the age of 18 will no longer be allowed to sit for secondary school leaving examinations, specifically the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and the Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE) conducted by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO).

This directive was made by the Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, during an appearance on Channels TV’s Sunday Politics programme. The decision enforces the existing age requirement, which the Minister emphasized is not a new policy but rather a reminder of the current regulations. Effective immediately, only candidates who are at least 18 years old will be eligible to write these exams.

Mamman also reiterated the age limit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), administered by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), stating that candidates must be 18 years old to qualify for university admission in Nigeria. He clarified that while younger candidates were accepted for this year’s UTME as a transitional measure, moving forward, the age requirement will be strictly enforced.

He explained that the policy aligns with the typical educational timeline in Nigeria, where students generally reach the age of 17 and a half by the time they are ready to take these final exams. Mamman stressed that this is part of ensuring that candidates have spent the requisite number of years in each educational stage before advancing to the next level. As a result, WAEC and NECO will no longer allow younger candidates to sit for their exams, ensuring adherence to the stipulated age requirements.