The Nigerian government has prohibited candidates under the age of 18 from sitting for the National Examinations Council and West African Examinations Council examinations.

Professor Tahir Mamman, Nigeria’s Minister of Education while speaking on a Channels Television programme on Sunday, August 25, said that WAEC and NECO have been directed to to ensure the enforcement of 18 years age requirement of its candidates.

According to the minister, this is not a new policy as thought by many but one which has been there for a long time.

His words, “It is 18 (years). What we did at the meeting that we had with JAMB (in July) was to allow this year and for it to serve as a kind of notice for parents that this year, JAMB will admit students who are below that age but from next year, JAMB is going to insist that anybody applying to go to university in Nigeria meets the required age which is 18.

“Even basically if you compute the number of years pupils, and learners are supposed to be in school, the number you will end up with is 17 and a half – from early child care to primary school to junior secondary school and then senior secondary school.

You will end up with 17 and a half by the time they are ready for admission,” Mamman said.