The government has not prohibited under-18 pupils from taking the National Examinations Council and the West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination, according to Nigeria’s Federal Minister of Education.

Dr. Yusuf Sununu, the Minister of State for Education, provided clarification on Friday in Abuja in response to enquiries from media during an event commemorating the 2024 International Literacy Day.

He expressed his disappointment at the misunderstanding and misreading of the remarks made on the subject by Prof. Tahir Mamman, the Minister of Education.

He clarified that the minister was discussing the 18-year-old admission age to postsecondary schools, which is in line with the 6-3-3-4 educational system.

The news that a university in this nation admitted kids who were 10, 11, and 12 years old startled me. This is incorrect.

“We are not suggesting that there aren’t any exceptions; in fact, we are aware of a very small number of gifted youngsters who, at the age of six or seven, possess an adult-level IQ.

“No one stated that a youngster will take the WAEC, NECO, or any other exam until they are eighteen years old. This is a misinterpretation of our statements and a misconception,” he declared.

This occurs when Nigerians rejected the idea that pupils less than 18 should not be enrolled.