The Academic Staff Union of Universities supported the Federal Government’s decision to prohibit candidates under the age of 18 from taking the West African Senior School Certificate Examination and the National Examination Council, but the Nigeria Union of Teachers has denounced the move, according to The PUNCH.
On Channels Television’s “Sunday Politics” program, Education Minister Prof. Tahir Mamman declared that the Federal Government had implemented a new age regulation for secondary school leaving examinations, with the minimum age being 18.
This implies that candidates who are too young to appear for the Senior School Certificate Examination and the West African Senior School Certificate Examination—both essential for moving on to higher education—will no longer be permitted.
The National Examinations Council, which is in charge of the SSCE, and the West African Examinations Council, which oversees the WASSCE, are also impacted by the decision. Furthermore, Mamman affirmed that the age requirement to sit for the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board-managed Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination will likewise be eighteen.
This was not a new policy, he continued.
“To clear up any confusion, this is an established policy that has been in place for a considerable amount of time,” Mamman said.
“Therefore, in contrast to what some are claiming, we are not proposing a new policy—rather, we are merely reminding them of what already exists. In any event, children under the age of majority will no longer be permitted to take examinations administered by NECO or WAEC. Stated differently, an individual will not be permitted to write the exam by WAEC or NECO if they have not dedicated the necessary number of years to that specific level of study.
Therefore, contrary to what some people are saying, we are only reminding them of what already exists rather than putting forth a new policy. In any case, exams offered by WAEC or NECO will no longer be available to students who are younger than the majority. Put otherwise, if a person has not committed the required number of years to that particular level of study, they will not be allowed to take the exam administered by WAEC or NECO.
Mamman declared, “JAMB is now alerted that underage students, those under the age of 18, are no longer permitted to apply to our postsecondary schools for admission in 2024. The minister’s remark is not necessary. All we are doing is restating the legal text.
Nonetheless, the regulation was met with criticism, especially from university stakeholders, since many candidates classified as minors had previously took the UTME without being aware of the mandate. Potential 16 and 17-year-olds who had previously passed the UTME and were applying to institutions were put in danger by this.
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.”
But the Secretary-General, NUT, Dr Mike Ene, in an interview with The PUNCH, said that changes in society, like early enrollment in crèches due to economic pressures, made it unrealistic to restrict learning based on age.
“The only way this policy could work is if it’s implemented from the foundation. By that, I mean starting at the primary school level. In the past, before a child was allowed to start school, they had to pass a basic test — like reaching their hand over their head to touch the opposite ear. If they couldn’t, they were sent back home.
“However, things have changed. Nowadays, due to economic pressures, parents enroll their children in crèches early, which means both parents have to work,” Ene told The PUNCH.
“Teachers at these crèches begin to educate the children, and they start learning quickly. You can’t stop them from learning because the brain is structured to keep developing—once learning stops, the brain stagnates.”
He added that exceptional students, who might be younger but academically advanced, were not considered in the policy, warning that the policy could lead to legal challenges and urged the government to rethink it, calling it poorly conceived.
“You also have to consider exceptional students. Some students are 16 years old in SS3. Is the minister taking these scenarios into account? What are these students supposed to do? Wait two more years? I see this as a policy that could lead to numerous legal challenges. The government needs to rethink this thoroughly. It is poorly conceived.”
Also speaking, National President, ASUP, Mr Shammah Kpanja, maintained that the decision to allow students under 18 to sit for exams should depend on their abilities, saying that gifted students might not need to spend the full years in school.
He advised the government to focus on critical issues like providing functional equipment in schools, addressing infrastructure deficits and improving teachers’ welfare, rather than on exam age restrictions.
Kpanja stated, “One issue with policy is that if it’s not realistic, it can lead to distorted information. The decision of whether a student should be 18 or younger to sit for exams should depend on the student’s abilities. Some students are exceptionally gifted and don’t need to spend all those years in school if they demonstrate a high level of intelligence.
“What we need is for the government to ensure that basic schools are equipped with functional facilities. In some villages around Abuja, you’ll find children sitting on the ground in schools, with many buildings lacking roofs. These are the real issues that need addressing. The welfare of teachers and the availability of functional libraries in most public secondary schools are also lacking. These should be the government’s targets — addressing infrastructure deficits instead of focusing on mundane matters.”
The polytechnic lecturer questioned the government’s priorities, pointing out inconsistencies, such as allowing child marriages in the North, while restricting younger students from taking WAEC.
“Did their children sit for WASSCE at 18 years? You allow young girls to marry at 12 in the North, but they can’t take WAEC at 16? What are the government’s priorities?”
Also, the Secretary-General, Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities, Prof. Yakubu Ochefu, stated that the VCs would meet in September to take a stand on the policy.
“It has not been discussed by the committee. The committee will meet in September to have a conversation on it. For now, we do not have a position on the matter.”
He added, “In my view, we’ve been operating the 6-3-3-4 system, which is tied to specific age brackets. When a child reaches a certain age, they are expected to be at a certain educational level. This policy has been part of the law for years, though it hasn’t been enforced. Why is it now, when someone attempts to enforce it, that it becomes a problem for Nigerians? Yes, there are exceptional children, but they can be enrolled in schools for gifted children once they demonstrate such abilities.”
On his part, WAEC Head of National Office, Dr Amos Dagnut, emphasised that education in Nigeria was regulated by the government, adding that they had the right to enforce any policy they deemed fit.
He said, “If the government is regulating education, it is within their purview to do so. We at WAEC do not regulate or keep records of candidates’ ages, as these details are submitted to us by the schools.”
National President, Academic Staff Union of Universities, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, maintained that ASUU had not yet discussed the matter, but stated on a personal note that children should follow the standard academic progression: six years in primary school, six 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.
“They should allow the system to function as intended and give their children time to rest. Adulthood begins at 18, so why force a child to go to the university or rent an apartment at 15? We need to consider the well-being of these children.”
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.
“A student might be intellectually ready, but if they are not emotionally prepared, they can be vulnerable. When a young student finishes secondary school and enters the university at a very young age, they are exposed to the influence of older, more experienced students. This can lead to negative outcomes, including susceptibility to cultism.
“We see cases where students who looked like they belong to secondary school are actually in university, and they’re often below or just slightly above 18. That’s why we support this policy—so we can nurture these students to enter university as mature individuals who can think for themselves and resist negative influences. Social media and unscrupulous individuals in universities can easily corrupt younger students, whose primary goal should be learning.
“Allowing children under 18 to write SSCE is not the best approach and creates problems for us. We’ve seen high failure rates in WAEC, and last year, all the top scorers were from Ghana. Despite 1.8 million Nigerian students registering, none of them achieved top scores. Parents are also contributing to the issue by pushing their children to graduate too quickly.”