The Federal Government has clarified that there is no age limit for taking the West African Examination Council (WAEC) and National Examination Council (NECO) exams. This comes after confusion arose from statements made by education officials regarding age restrictions for examinations.
Speaking in Abuja on Friday, September 6, the Minister of State for Education, Dr. Tanko Sununu, addressed the recurring concerns, explaining that the only age restriction being enforced is for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and university admissions, which will require candidates to be at least 18 years old starting from 2025.
Dr. Sununu emphasized that neither he nor the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, ever made statements about placing an age cap on WAEC, NECO, or NABTEB exams. He attributed the confusion to a misinterpretation of previous remarks.
He further explained that the age requirement for university entry aligns with the National Policy on Education. “The policy outlines that children are expected to start primary school at six years of age, spend six years in primary education, followed by six years in secondary education, totaling 18 years by the time they finish and are ready for higher education,” Sununu stated.
He also highlighted that early education should be in the child’s mother tongue or the language of their immediate environment, up until primary three, after which English would be introduced to ease the learning process.
This clarification reaffirms the government’s commitment to accessible education for all ages, particularly for those seeking to take national examinations like WAEC and NECO.
