Students Under 18yrs Will no Longer be Permitted to Sit For WAEC & NECO Exams – Federal Government

The Federal Government has announced the enforcement of an 18-year age limit for students taking the National Examinations Council (NECO) and West African Examinations Council (WAEC) exams. This directive, issued by the Minister of Education, Professor Tahir Mamman, was disclosed during an appearance on Channels Television’s “Sunday Politics” program.

Professor Mamman clarified that this is not a new policy but rather a reemphasis of existing regulations. He stated that both WAEC, which conducts the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), and NECO, which administers the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE), have been instructed to enforce the age requirement. Moving forward, students under 18 years old will no longer be permitted to sit for these exams.

The Minister also reiterated that the age limit for candidates taking the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), remains set at 18 years. He explained that while younger students have been allowed to take the UTME this year as a transitional measure, the age requirement will be strictly enforced starting next year.

“For the avoidance of doubt, this is not a new policy; this is a policy that has been there for a long time,” Professor Mamman said. He noted that the typical educational trajectory in Nigeria, from early childhood education through primary and secondary schooling, would result in students being around 17 and a half years old by the time they are ready for these exams.

He emphasized that the government is not introducing a new policy but simply reminding the public of the existing rules. Consequently, NECO and WAEC will ensure that only students who have reached the appropriate age and completed the requisite years of study are eligible to write their exams.