FG bans under 18 years from writing WAEC, NECO exams
The Minister of Education, Professor Tahir Mamman
FG bans under 18 years from writing WAEC, NECO exams
Abdullateef Fowewe
The Federal Government of Nigeria has announced that candidates below the age of 18 will no longer be permitted to take the National Examinations Council, West African Examinations Council and Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination starting from 2025.
The Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, emphasised that this is not a new policy but a reinforcement of existing regulations. He stated that students must have spent the required number of years in each educational phase before being eligible to write these exams.
Dailyeconomy gathered this from the X (formally Twitter) account of the National Orientation Agency on Monday.
The post reads, “The Federal Government has mandated that only candidates aged 18 and above can sit for WAEC, WASSCE, NECO, and SSCE exams, effectively setting a minimum age for university admission. This policy aims to ensure students are mature and better prepared for higher education.
“The directive, which takes immediate effect, seeks to promote balanced academic and emotional development in students.”
This enforcement comes as the government seeks to standardise educational processes and ensure students are adequately prepared for higher education.
