There is no age limit for taking NECO and WAEC exams, according to the Federal Government

This clarification was made by the Minister of State for Education, Dr. Tanko Sununu, who explained that the government only set a minimum age of 18 for taking the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and entering university, starting from 2025.

The government emphasized that there is no age restriction for taking WAEC and NECO exams, contrary to recent reports suggesting a minimum age of 18 years.

The Minister also highlighted the importance of multilingual education, stressing that children should learn in their mother tongue or language of the immediate environment until primary three before introducing English language.

This approach facilitates learning and is in line with the National Policy on Education.

The Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-Formal Education, Prof. Akpama Iboro, also emphasized the significance of literacy in a multilingual world, recognizing the unique challenges of promoting literacy in a diverse nation with hundreds of languages spoken.