Dr. Charles Marindoti, an education advocate, recently shared his thoughts on the academic background of Nigeria’s Minister of Education, Professor Tahir Mamman, while discussing the federal government’s new policy on an 18-year age limit for taking WAEC and NECO exams. Marindoti’s comments, which were made in a viral video posted on the official X handle of NEWS CENTRAL TV on Monday, have sparked further debate on the policy’s implications.
In his remarks, Dr. Marindoti revealed that after conducting some research on Professor Mamman, he discovered that the Minister graduated from university at the age of 29. This finding, according to Marindoti, offers some insight into why the Minister might consider the age limit policy to be reasonable.
Marindoti elaborated on the potential reasoning behind the policy, noting that if Professor Mamman graduated at 29, it suggests he may have passed JAMB, Nigeria’s university entrance exam, at around 24 years old. This timeline, Marindoti suggests, could explain why the Minister might support the idea of setting an age limit for secondary school exams.
Drawing from his own experience, Dr. Marindoti contrasted his educational journey with that of Professor Mamman. He mentioned that he completed WAEC at the age of 15 and graduated from university by the age of 23, which was still younger than when the Minister entered university. This comparison, Marindoti implied, highlights that intellectual capability, rather than age, should be the primary consideration for a student’s educational progress.
Marindoti argued that there is no harm in a child advancing through school if they possess the intellectual ability to do so, challenging the rationale behind the 18-year age limit. He emphasized that educational policies should be flexible enough to accommodate students who are capable of excelling at a younger age.
He said, “I went to do little research about the current Minister of Education. I saw that he graduated from law university at the age of 29. If you do the maths, that means he probably passed JAMB at the age of 24. So, I understand why he might feel this is a plausible policy. I finished WAEC at the age of 15 and by the time I graduated at the age of 23, I was still younger than when the minister got into the university”.
