The Federal Government has reaffirmed that candidates must be at least 18 years old before they can be admitted into tertiary institutions. Education Minister Tahir Mamman made this announcement during an appearance on Channels Television’s *Sunday Politics*.
He also stated that the government has instructed the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) to prohibit underage children from sitting for their examinations.
The Minister emphasized that no candidate will be allowed to take the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) organized by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) unless they are 18 years old.
“It is 18 years. During the meeting with JAMB in July, we decided to allow this year as a transition period for parents, but starting next year, JAMB will strictly enforce the age requirement for university admission in Nigeria,” Mamman said. He clarified that this is not a new policy but one that has been in place for a long time.
According to him, the standard progression through early child care, primary school, junior secondary school, and senior secondary school should result in students reaching 17 and a half years by the time they are ready for university admission.
Additionally, NECO and WAEC will no longer permit underage students to take their exams, ensuring that students have completed the requisite number of years at each educational level before progressing to the next.
