The Minister of State for Education, Yusuf Sununu, on Friday, dismissed claims of age limit for candidates writing secondary school certificate examinations in the country.
The Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, had said at a stakeholders meeting in Abuja last week that students below the age of 18 years would no longer be allowed to write tests conducted by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) National Examinations Council (NECO) for secondary school leavers.
The statement sparked angry reactions in the country with many questioning the rationale behind the decision.
READ ALSO: Nigerian govt bans underage from registering for NECO, WAEC exams
Sununu, who addressed journalists at a media briefing in Abuja, said Nigerians misinterpreted what Mamman said at the meeting.
He said the minister only spoke about the enforcement of the 18-year entry age into tertiary institutions which would begin in 2025.
“Nobody among the two of us stated anything about age for WAEC and NECO examinations. That was not mentioned.
“But people just implied to say that this is what it means. All we mentioned is about the age of entry or admission into the university,” he stated.
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