Amid growing concerns about the state of Nigeria’s education system, the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has opposed to the Federal Government’s decision to ban candidates under the age of 18 from sitting for the major secondary school leaving examinations, including the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and the National Examination Council (NECO).
While the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASSU) supports the policy, the directive has instigated a heated discussion among educators and stakeholders across the country.
The new age restriction, announced by the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, on Channels Television’s ‘Sunday Politics’ programme, mandates that students must be at least 18 years old to take the WASSCE, NECO exams, and the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), overseen by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).
Mamman clarified that this is not a new policy but an enforcement of existing regulations, aiming to ensure students follow a structured academic progression through Nigeria’s 6-3-3-4 education system.
“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.
“So, we are not coming up with a new policy, contrary to what some people are saying; we are just simply reminding people of what is existing. In any case, NECO and WAEC, henceforth, will not be allowing underage children to write their examinations. In other words, if somebody has not spent the requisite number of years in that particular level of study, WAEC and NECO will not allow them to write the examination.”
Mamman, in a meeting with JAMB and other education stakeholders, insisted that the UTME should be set at 18 years.
He stated, “JAMB is hereby notified that there is now a ban on underage students, those under the age of 18, from our tertiary institutions for the 2024 admissions… It doesn’t require a statement of the minister… we are only restating what is in the law.”
However, the policy has drawn criticism, particularly from the NUT as many of those categorized as underage candidates had already taken the UTME without anticipating the directive. This posed a threat to potential 16 and 17-year-olds, who had already passed the UTME and were seeking admission into universities.
Secretary-General of NUT, Dr. Mike Ene, emphasized that exceptional students who are younger but academically advanced should not be penalized, warning that the policy could lead to legal challenges.
He further argues that societal changes, such as early enrollment in crèches due to economic pressures, make the age restriction unrealistic.
Conversely, ASUP President, Shammah Kpanja, suggested that the focus should be on improving educational infrastructure and teachers’ welfare rather than on exam age restrictions.
Following the disapproval, the minister reversed the directive, allowing candidates from 16 years to be admitted into the university as it previously stood until 2025.
However, following Sunday’s pronouncement, Mamman insisted that there was no going back on the policy.
The minister said, “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.”
Meanwhile, National President, Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, said that ASUU had not yet discussed the matter, but stated on a personal note that children should follow the standard academic progression: 6 years in primary school, 6 years in secondary school, and then move on to university at the age of 18.
Osodeke questioned the rush to enter university, stating, “Why are we focusing on university at such a young age? How many years do you spend in the university? For most courses, it’s four years; for Medicine, it’s five. We can’t reduce these durations.
Similarly, National President, All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools, Mallam Musa Ibrahim, expressed support for the government’s decision, stating that It was not just about intelligence; but more about emotional maturity.
He attributed the high failure rates in national examinations to students under 18 sitting for them.
Despite the initial backlash, Mamman insists that the age limit of 18 years will stand.
