The minister of education, Tahir Mamman have said students who have not spent the obligatory number of years in primary and secondary school will not be permitted to sit for the senior school certificate examination (SSCE).
Nigeria operates the 6–3–3–4 system where a child starts school at the age of six for six years each of primary and secondary education.
At the completion of secondary education, a Nigerian is expected to be aged 18, however, many students often graduate at 16 or even less as a result of skipped grades.
In July, the ministry of education introduced a policy fixing 18 as the minimum age for tertiary institution admissions.
The policy, however gave an exception for the 2024 admission cycle which it stated would accept candidates as young as age 16.
The minister of education has now said, henceforth, no underaged students will be allowed to write the SSCE.
In an interview with Channels TV on Sunday, the minister stated that the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) will no longer allow underage students to write their examinations.
Mamman was asked whether the status quo for the minimum age of admission into higher institutions is 16 or 18.
“It is 18. (years) What we did at the meeting that we had with JAMB was to allow underage candidates this year and for it to serve as a kind of notice for parents,” the education minister clarified.
“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.”
The education minister added that the policy of minimum age for tertiary school admission was not newly instituted by President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
“This is a policy that has been there for a long time. 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,” he said.
“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.”
When asked what the minimum age to write SSCE would be, Mamman responded: “It is not a matter of age. It is the years spent at each level of education.”
He said pupils are supposed to spend five years in early child care.
The minister said if that is ensured, they would be six in primary one and conclude primary school education at age 12.
Mamman reiterated that the junior and senior secondary school levels together are for six years.