Minister of Education Faces Legal Action Over 18-Year Age Limit for WAEC, NECO Exams

In Nigeria, a major legal battle is brewing as the Minister of Education faces a lawsuit over the newly implemented 18-year age limit policy for the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and National Examinations Council (NECO) exams.

This policy mandates that students must be at least 18 years old to sit for these critical exams, a move that has sparked nationwide controversy and drawn the ire of education stakeholders across the country.

Phrank Shaibu, Special Assistant to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar on Public Communication, has been vocal in his opposition to the policy. He brands it as a "mark of wretched illiteracy" and a detrimental "political game," arguing that it endangers the futures of Nigerian youths.

Shaibu contends that the policy is impractical given the structure of Nigeria's education system. He questions, "How can a minister wake up and say that until a child gets to 18, they cannot write their Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE)?" He argues that such a restriction would delay students' academic progress unnecessarily.

Shaibu further criticizes the tradition among education ministers to frequently change educational policies without proper assessment.

"Every Nigerian minister of education comes in and names or rechristens our educational policy, playing politics with our education. This is absolutely wrong," he emphasizes.

He points out that a major number of Nigerian students, especially those from rural areas, do not benefit from early childhood education. Typically, a child reaches Senior Secondary School 3 (SS3) by the age of 16, but the new policy would force them to wait an additional two years before writing their exams.

Shaibu believes this will lead to academic decline and increased rates of examination malpractice. "By the minister's understanding, that child should now withdraw and stay at home until they get to 18 before writing the exam. How do you think that child will pass the SSCE after such a long gap?" he asks rhetorically.

Shaibu suggests that the age restriction policy is being driven by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), which he claims has transformed itself into a revenue-generating agency.

"JAMB now declares a profit of over ₦50 billion annually, but what do they do with the funds? Our universities are still overcrowded, and the infrastructure remains outdated," he says. He highlights the challenges faced by Nigeria's 274 universities, which admit only about 700,000 students annually, while more than 3 million students sit for the JAMB exam yearly.

According to Shaibu, improving the nation's educational infrastructure and expanding access to university education should be JAMB’s priority, rather than imposing arbitrary age limits.

The potential socio-economic impacts of the policy are also a primary concern for Shaibu. He warns that the policy may increase youth crime rates, citing statistics showing that young people aged 16 to 25 are disproportionately involved in criminal activities.

"With this policy, the government is deliberately creating a crime scene in Nigeria by forcing young people into frustration," he warns. Instead of focusing on age, Shaibu suggests that maturity should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. "Maturity is a concept of the conscience. Age is not a parameter for measuring capability. We have leaders over 70 who cannot lead us properly," he argues.

Shaibu also dismisses the notion that only "gifted" children should be allowed to progress academically at a faster rate. "Every child is gifted. There are no dull children anywhere in the world, only slow learners," he says, calling for more inclusive and flexible educational policies. He confirms that his team and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar plan to take the matter to court. "We are preparing to challenge this in court, and we will be issuing a strong statement shortly," he affirms.