Atiku Abubakar, the 2023 Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has strongly criticized the Federal Government’s recent decision to impose an 18-year age limit on candidates taking the NECO and WAEC examinations, describing it as “absurd” and a hindrance to educational advancement and scholarships.
The Federal Government’s directive was disclosed by the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, during his appearance on Channels Television’s “Sunday Politics” program. Mamman confirmed that both the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), responsible for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination, and the National Examinations Council (NECO), which administers the Senior School Certificate Examination, have been instructed to enforce the age restriction.
In response, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar took to his verified Facebook page on Wednesday to express his disapproval of the policy, calling it outdated and deserving of widespread condemnation from those who value intellectual freedom and educational accessibility.
Atiku remarked, “Tinubu’s policy on age limit for tertiary education admission belongs in the Stone Ages.”
He continued, “The recent policy of the Federal Ministry of Education pegging age limits for entry to tertiary institutions is an absurdity and a disincentive to scholarship. The policy runs foul of the notion of delineation of responsibilities in a federal system of government such as we are practising, and gives a graphic impression of how the Tinubu government behaves like a lost sailor on a high sea.”
Atiku further questioned the logic behind implementing such a regulation amidst the numerous challenges facing Nigeria’s educational system. He emphasized that the Nigerian Constitution places education on the Concurrent List, granting more authority to sub-national governments over the Federal Government in educational matters.
“The most effective global approach is to allow sub-national governments to establish their education laws or regulations,” Atiku argued. “It is extra-constitutional for the federal government to legislate on education like a decree. The best global standard for such regulation is to allow sub-national governments to make respective laws or rules on education.”
Atiku also criticized the government’s failure to address the needs of gifted students, describing it as “an embarrassment to the body of intellectuals in the country” and a portrayal of Nigeria as a nation that does not appreciate its talented youth.
“The irony here is that should the federal government play any role in education, it is to set up mechanisms that will identify and grant scholarships to gifted students, not minding their ages before applying for admission into tertiary institutions,” he added.
Atiku concluded by calling for the controversial policy to be “roundly condemned by everyone who believes in intellectual freedom and accessibility,” reiterating that it belongs in “the Stone Ages.”
