Former Vice President and 2023 Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party Atiku Abubakar, has criticised the recent policy by President Bola Tinubu’s administration, which imposes an 18-year minimum age requirement for candidates to sit for the National Examinations Council and the West African Examinations Council exams.
Atiku described the policy as “absurd” and a barrier to educational opportunities.
The new policy was announced by the Minister of Education, Professor Tahir Mamman, during an appearance on Channels Television’s ‘Sunday Politics’ programme.
Professor Mamman stated that the Federal Government had instructed NECO and WAEC to enforce the 18-year age limit for all candidates taking these exams.
Reacting to this development, Atiku took to his verified Facebook page to express his disapproval of the policy, calling it outdated and a deterrent to academic advancement.
He argued that the policy contradicts the principles of a federal system of government, which allows state governments to have a more significant role in education.
“Tinubu’s policy on age limit for tertiary education admission belongs in the Stone Ages,” Atiku wrote.
“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.”
He continued, “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 argued that the Nigerian constitution places education on the concurrent list, which means that both the federal and state governments have responsibilities.
However, he emphasised that state governments should have more authority over education policies within their jurisdictions. “The best global standard for such regulation is to allow the sub-national governments to make respective laws or rules on education,” he noted.
He also criticised the government’s lack of provision for gifted students under the new policy. “It is discouraging that even while announcing this obnoxious policy, the government inadvertently said it had no plan to cater to specially gifted pupils. That statement is an embarrassment to the body of intellectuals in the country because it portrays Nigeria as a country where gifted students are not appreciated,” Atiku stated.
Atiku concluded by calling on the public to condemn the policy. “This controversial policy belongs in the Stone Ages and should be roundly condemned by everyone who believes in intellectual freedom and accessibility,” he asserted.
The former Vice President’s remarks have sparked a debate on the role of federal versus state governments in setting educational policies and the need for inclusivity and accessibility in the Nigerian education system.
