No more lavish graduations, Kogi warns schools

Kogi State Government has renewed its warning against graduation ceremonies for pupils in nursery, primary and junior secondary schools, insisting that any institution that flouts the directive risks being shut down.

The Commissioner for Education, Wemi Jones, delivered the warning during a stakeholders’ meeting on the 2025/2026 Annual School Census exercise in Lokoja on Monday.

According to him, the policy was introduced to shield parents from unnecessary financial demands often associated with school celebrations.

He lamented the growing trend of organising elaborate ceremonies for pupils advancing between lower classes.

“Please let me remind all of us that the ban on excessive celebration for graduation is still in force for primary and secondary schools. We have outlawed it in Kogi State,” he said.

Jones explained that only students completing Senior Secondary School Three are permitted to hold a formal event, traditionally known as Speech and Prize Giving Day.

“It is when you are leaving SSS three that you are allowed to have a celebration where you invite respected people to speak to the children and award prizes to deserving students,” he explained.

He stressed that ceremonies for pupils moving from nursery to primary school, Primary Six to JSS One, or JSS Three to SSS One remain prohibited.

“The type of pressure this puts on parents is better imagined. We are now in third term when graduation ceremonies usually come up. Please, let us beg ourselves now so you won’t beg us later,” he said.

The commissioner noted that the government had repeatedly communicated the directive through official letters, school visits and radio announcements.

“Nobody can say ‘I am not aware’. Any school that decides not to obey will be made an example by being closed down,” he stated.

Jones also reiterated the state’s ban on sign-out activities by tertiary institution studengits and assured residents that measures had been put in place to strengthen security around schools.

“We have put certain strategies in place to ensure our students are safe and are not taken into the bush. We are working to forestall that,” he added.

The meeting also reviewed preparations for the upcoming school census, which officials say will provide data for education planning across the state.