Atiku Abubakar, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has strongly criticized the Federal Government’s decision to enforce an 18-year age limit for candidates taking the NECO and WAEC exams. He described the policy as “absurd” and a significant barrier to educational opportunities, especially scholarships.
The age restriction was announced by the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, during an appearance on Channels Television’s ‘Sunday Politics’ programme. Mamman stated that the Federal Government had instructed the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) to implement the 18-year age requirement for students seeking to take these crucial exams.
In response, Abubakar took to Facebook on Wednesday to denounce the policy as outdated and harmful to Nigeria’s educational progress. He argued that it undermines intellectual freedom and restricts access to higher education. Abubakar labelled the policy as controversial and called for it to be universally condemned by those who value educational equity.
He further criticized the policy as being at odds with the principles of federalism, noting that education is on the concurrent list in the Nigerian Constitution. This, he said, gives sub-national governments a more prominent role in education than the Federal Government. Abubakar urged the federal administration to reconsider its stance and allow states to set their own educational regulations, in line with global best practices.
This age limit policy has sparked widespread debate, with many in the education sector questioning its rationale and impact..
