Posted by Chinenye on Tue 14th Jul, 2026 - tori.ng
Summary: A new education directive in Niger State has stopped private schools from holding traditional graduation ceremonies, replacing them with a different format for celebrating students.
(Niger Map. Photo by Punch News)
The Niger State Private Schools Board has discontinued the conduct of graduation ceremonies in all private schools across the state, with immediate effect.
This is contained in a statement by the Director of Information Services, Niger State Ministry of Information and Orientation, Mr Yunusa Ibrahim, made available to newsmen on Tuesday in Minna.
Ibrahim explained that private schools are now required to adopt speech and prize-giving ceremonies as the approved platform for celebrating learners and recognising academic excellence, exemplary conduct, leadership and other outstanding achievements.
He said the directive applies to all proprietors of private schools, school administrators and management teams, parents and guardians, as well as other stakeholders in the private education sector.
He added that the policy was introduced to promote uniformity in end-of-session activities across private schools, preserve the educational significance of school celebrations, strengthen effective regulation of private educational institutions, and discourage extravagant ceremonies, while also encouraging schools to prioritise academic achievement and character development.
He clarified that the directive does not stop schools from celebrating learners or recognising their achievements, noting that speech and prize-giving ceremonies remain appropriate platforms for awarding prizes and certificates, recognising outstanding academic performance, honouring exemplary behaviour and leadership, and showcasing the achievements of pupils and students.
According to him, graduation ceremonies in some private schools had become increasingly elaborate and expensive in recent years, placing high financial demands on parents and guardians and fuelling unnecessary competition among schools, a development he described as a shift away from the educational purpose of end-of-session activities that had led to the commercialisation of school celebrations.
The Director of Information Services added that the board, working with the Ministry of Information and Orientation and other relevant stakeholders, would embark on public enlightenment and sensitisation campaigns across the state to promote understanding and compliance.
He reaffirmed the state government's commitment to promoting quality education, protecting the interests of learners and parents, and ensuring that school activities are conducted in line with acceptable educational standards and best practices, and urged all stakeholders to support the implementation of the directive in the interest of discipline, standardisation and educational excellence in the state's private education sector.