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18-Yrs Limit: Nigeria’s Education Minister, Tahir Mamman receives more knocks
Former Labour Party (LP) chieftain and actor, Kenneth Okonkwo, has disagreed with the position of the federal government that candidates under 18 years of age will no longer be allowed to sit for secondary school leaving examinations.
Naija News recalls the Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, disclosed this on Sunday during a TV interview. He said the Federal Government has instructed the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) which administers the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) which organises the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) to comply with the directive on 18 years age limit for any candidate to be eligible for the two examinations.
Mamman also insisted that the age limit for any candidate to write the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) organised by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) remained 18 years.
The policy has continued to attract condemnation and criticism from several stakeholders. In his reaction on Thursday, Okonkwo said the government policy which was made public recently by the education minister is unfortunate and undesirable.
He recounted a personal experience of some of the vices he picked up as a teenager when he stayed at home for one year before proceeding to a higher institution of learning.
The actor cum politician also noted that the current educational system in Nigeria makes it possible for students to conclude secondary education by 16 years of age and wondered why such students must be forced to stay at home and what they would be doing until they turn 18.
He cautioned against turning idle hands and minds into the devil’s workshop as a result of such government decisions. Okonkwo, therefore, called for a reversal of the policy.
“Prof Tahir Mamman, the Minister of Education’s statement that students must attain the age of 18 years before writing neco and jamb, is unfortunate and undesirable.
“This policy is personal to me because I completed my secondary school education at the age of 15 years plus and made excellent grades. The policy of jamb then was that every student must attain the age of 16 years before writing jamb. I had to voluntarily stay at home for a year to write jamb. The little little vices I picked up in my life as a teenager were when I stayed at home for a year. You can imagine if I had stayed at home for three years.
Children start nursery classes at 2 years and take 3 years to complete them. This makes them start primary one at age 5 and finish at age 10. They get into secondary school at age 10 and finish at age 16 and should be allowed to get into university at age 16. I finished at age 15 because secondary education was for 5 years during our time.
“Keeping children idle for two years is making them susceptible to crimes and other antisocial behaviour as an idle mind is a devil’s workshop.
“The Minister should immediately revert to the 16-year benchmark for entering the university, not 18. It’s unfortunate that our old men in political positions want to entrench gerontocracy in our system and are already trying to enforce it on our children. Must this government get everything wrong?” Okonkwo wrote via his X account.
Ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, have arrived Ibadan, Oyo State capital, ahead of the National Summit of all opposition parties.
Ex- governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, and his Kano State counterpart, Rabiu Kwankwaso, alongside other opposition heavy weights, are expected in the summit.
They are being hosted by the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
Atiku, one of the opposition leaders jostling for the presidential ticket of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, for the 2027 election, posted the video of his arrival on his Facebook page.
In the video, a large crowd of supporters were seen welcoming the former vice president to Oyo State.
They are being hosted by the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
Atiku, one of the opposition leaders jostling for the presidential ticket of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, for the 2027 election, posted the video of his arrival on his Facebook page.
In the video, a large crowd of supporters were seen welcoming the former vice president to Oyo State.
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Delta State chapter, has threatened legal action over alleged attempts to forge and backdate resignation letters of party members who defected to the All Progressives Congress, APC.
The PDP Chairman in the state, Mr. Peter Mrakpor, while revealing the move, described the allegation as fraudulent and a clear breach of due process, warning that those behind it would be held accountable.
He confirmed that none of the defectors followed proper procedure by submitting resignation letters to their respective wards before leaving the party.
The PDP chairman further disclosed that the party is prepared to pursue legal action against any individual found culpable in the alleged scheme.
Despite the wave of defections, the Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) maintained that the PDP in Delta State remains united and structurally strong, expressing confidence in the party’s continued stability across the state.
The attempt to forge and backdate resignation letters is not only illegal but a desperate move that will fail. None of those who defected submitted resignation letters to their wards before the mass defection,” he said.
Just weeks ago, the PDP demanded that the APC state chairman, Chief Solomon Areyinka, vacate the PDP secretariat he occupies immediately.
The PDP further warned that the Delta State Government, which it accused of aiding the occupation, should note that the property’s Certificate of Occupancy remains in the PDP’s name and has not been revoked.
It accused the state government of complicity in what it described as the “illegal and unconstitutional” occupation of its state secretariat by the APC.
The party vowed to explore “every legal avenue” to reclaim the property, especially as some defectors who left for the APC as far back as April 2025 were still allegedly using the party’s bank accounts.
The PDP stated that the secretariat, located on WAEC Road, off Mariam Babangida Way, Asaba, was acquired in its name, with all documents bearing the party’s insignia.
The PDP’s Publicity Secretary, Chief Kingsley Akpos Oturubo, said the secretariat was built long before the APC came into existence as a political entity. He described the situation as unprecedented, noting that the APC already maintains a separate state office on Anwai Road.
“Where in this country does a political party have two secretariats in a state?” the statement read. “Chief Solomon Areyinka should know that he is now a member of the APC. The PDP secretariat and all the assets of the party did not defect with him to the APC.”
The statement linked the government’s actions to the PDP’s National Leader, Nyesom Wike, and his pledge to reclaim the party’s mandate in the 2027 elections.
“The state government is doing everything possible to dismantle the structures connected to the PDP National Leader,” the party alleged.
Describing the situation as “an invitation to anarchy,” the PDP called on security agencies to take note. It warned that Chief Areyinka and the state government would be held responsible for any breakdown of law and order.
We have already alerted the relevant anti-graft agencies to apprehend these fraudsters,” the statement added.
The party appealed to its faithful to remain calm, while insisting that the ruling APC must accept constructive criticism and abandon any dream of a one-party state in Delta.
Subscribers of MTN Nigeria have started receiving airtime credits from the telecom operator as compensation for poor quality of service experienced in January 2026.
The development became public after several users shared notifications on the social media platform X, showing that their lines had been credited with different amounts.
One of the messages sent to subscribers read: “Dear Customer, your account has been credited with N341 airtime for quality of service issues in January 2026. Thank you for your understanding.”
Findings indicate that the compensation varies across users. While some reported receiving over N300, others claimed they got smaller amounts such as N20 and N91, though these could not be independently verified.
As of the time of filing this report, it remains unclear whether all affected subscribers have received the airtime credit or if the process is still ongoing in phases.
The move follows increased regulatory pressure on telecom operators to improve service delivery and address persistent complaints from subscribers across the country.
Industry observers believe the action is linked to directives from the Nigerian Communications Commission, which requires operators to meet minimum quality-of-service standards and, where necessary, compensate customers for service lapses.
MTN had earlier signalled its readiness to comply with such directives, while also committing to further investment in network infrastructure to improve service quality nationwide.
However, the company has yet to provide details on the total number of subscribers affected or the criteria used in determining the compensation amounts.
Telecom service delivery has remained a major concern in Nigeria, with many users frequently complaining about dropped calls, slow internet speeds and network outages.
Regulators have in recent years intensified oversight of telecom operators to ensure compliance with service benchmarks and consumer protection guidelines.
Compensation measures such as airtime credits are part of broader efforts to rebuild trust among subscribers and enforce accountability within the sector.
Analysts say while the current compensation may offer temporary relief to affected users, long-term improvement in service quality will depend largely on sustained investment in infrastructure and efficient network management.
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