Education Minister Tahir Mamman has announced that underage candidates will no longer be permitted to sit for secondary school leaving examinations.
This directive, which impacts the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) administered by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) organized by the National Examinations Council (NECO), mandates that candidates must be at least 18 years old.
Mamman clarified this policy during his appearance on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics program. He emphasized that the age requirement for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), remains at 18 years.
“From this year, JAMB will admit students who are below 18 as a transitional measure,” Mamman said. “However, starting next year, JAMB will strictly enforce the 18-year age requirement for university admissions in Nigeria.”
He assured that this policy is not new but a reinforcement of existing regulations. “The policy has been in place for a long time. If you calculate the time students are supposed to spend in school—from early childhood to senior secondary education—the total is approximately 17 and a half years,” Mamman explained. “We are merely reminding people of the established policy.”
According to Mamman, NECO and WAEC will now ensure that only students who have completed the required number of years at each educational level will be allowed to take their respective examinations. This means that candidates must have fulfilled the necessary duration at each stage of their education before being eligible to sit for these exams.
The minister provided a detailed breakdown of the educational timeline: early childhood care lasts for the first five years, followed by six years in primary school starting at age six. Students then proceed to junior secondary school at age 12 for three years, and to senior secondary school at age 15 for an additional three years, culminating in university admission at age 18.