The Federal Government has clarified that there is no age restriction for sitting the National Examination Council (NECO) or West African Examination Council (WAEC) exams. This follows recent reports falsely claiming a minimum age of 18 years. The government emphasized that only the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and university entry age have been restricted to 18 years, starting from 2025.

According to *Leadership*, the clarification came from Dr. Tanko Sununu, Minister of State for Education, during a briefing in Abuja on Friday, September 6, ahead of the 2024 World Literacy Day. The theme for the event was "Promoting Multilingual Education: Literacy for Mutual Understanding and Peace."

As reported by *The Punch*, Sununu expressed disappointment over the public's misinterpretation of a statement by Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman. He explained that the minister was referring to the entry age for universities, following the 6:3:3:4 education system. Sununu further clarified: 

"Neither the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, nor myself, ever mentioned an age limit for WAEC, NECO, or NABTEB exams. The public misinterpreted remarks regarding the age for university entry, which is in line with the National Policy on Education."

Sununu reiterated that the National Policy on Education outlines that a child typically enters primary school at age six, spends six years there, and another six years across junior and senior secondary school, making them 18 years old by the time they qualify for tertiary education.