Federal Government Refutes Age Restrictions for NECO and WAEC Exams

The Federal Government has dismissed rumors suggesting that age restrictions apply to the National Examination Council (NECO) and West African Examination Council (WAEC) exams.

Dr. Tanko Sununu, the Minister of State for Education, clarified this in Abuja on Friday, affirming that there are no age limits for taking these exams. He explained that the age restriction applies only to the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and university entry, which will start at 18 years beginning in 2025.

Sununu pointed out that the National Policy on Education specifies that children should start primary school at age six, spend six years there, and then proceed to three years each in junior and senior secondary schools, totaling 18 years.

His remarks came during a briefing for the 2024 World Literacy Day, themed “Promoting Multilingual Education: Literacy for Mutual Understanding and Peace.”

Sununu addressed the confusion, stating, “We have clarified this issue in various forums, but the misinformation persists. Neither the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, nor I have announced any age limit for WAEC, NECO, or NABTEB exams.”

He added, “Some individuals have misinterpreted our comments regarding UTME age restrictions and mistakenly applied them to WAEC and NECO. Our previous statements only pertained to university entry age, as outlined in the National Policy on Education.”

Sununu also highlighted that the policy supports teaching children in their local language or mother tongue until primary three, after which English is introduced. This approach, he noted, facilitates better communication and learning.