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Putting to rest a lingering controversy, Minister of State for Education Yussuf Sununu has issued a definitive statement denying the imposition of age restrictions on candidates wishing to take key secondary school exams, including the West African Examination Council and National Examination Council tests, thereby offering reassurance to prospective examinees.
During a ministerial briefing in Abuja on Friday, marking International Literacy Day, Minister Sununu took the chance to address the contentious issue, offering a clear and concise response to put the matter to rest.
Sununu further disclosed that the ministry is working on establishing clear guidelines to exempt extraordinary underage students from the age requirement, allowing them to pursue higher education at federal institutions if they demonstrate exceptional abilities.
In a move that generated significant debate, Minister of Education Prof. Tahir Mamman had earlier stated that the ministry would henceforth enforce an 18-year age minimum for candidates seeking to take exams conducted by the National Examinations Council and West African Examinations Council.
Read also: Minister Bars Minors From Sitting For NECO, WAEC Exams
The Minister had announced that the Federal Government has mandated WAEC and NECO to enforce the age requirement of 18 years for candidates seeking to take their exams, aiming to ensure compliance with the stipulated age limit.
The Minister’s statement had generated reactions from Nigerians, with many condemning the policy.
However, fielding questions from journalists on Friday, Sununu said that the public misconceived and misinterpreted what was said by Prof. Mamman.
According to him, the minister was speaking on the 18 years of entry age into the tertiary institutions which he said will begin in 2025.
“Nobody among the two of us stated anything about age foe WAEC, NECO examinations, that was not mentioned.
The Minister pointed out that some individuals had made assumptions, attributing a particular meaning to the statement, whereas the actual intent was to discuss the age requirements for accessing university education.
