FG Enforces 18-Year Age Limit for WAEC, NECO, and JAMB Exams - Minister's Statement Explained

The Federal Government has barred individuals under the age of 18 from participating in the National Examinations Council (NECO) and West African Examinations Council (WAEC) exams. This announcement was made by the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, during his appearance on Channels Television's ‘Sunday Politics’ program.
Prof. Mamman explained that the federal government has instructed both WAEC, which conducts the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), and NECO, which oversees the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE), to enforce the 18-year age requirement for exam candidates. He emphasized that this directive is not a new policy.
Additionally, he clarified that the age limit for candidates taking the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), administered by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), remains at 18 years. Prof. Mamman stated, “The age requirement is 18. During our meeting with JAMB in July, we decided to allow this year as a grace period for parents. This year, JAMB will admit students below the age limit, but starting next year, JAMB will enforce the 18-year age requirement for university admission in Nigeria.
“For clarity, this is not a new policy; it has been in place for a long time. If you calculate the years students are expected to spend in school-from early childhood education through primary, junior secondary, and senior secondary school-they should be around 17 and a half years old when they are ready for university admission. Therefore, we are not introducing a new policy, as some have suggested; we are simply reinforcing the existing rules. Moving forward, NECO and WAEC will not allow underage candidates to sit for their exams. In other words, students who have not completed the requisite number of years at their educational level will not be permitted to take the exams."
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