The Kogi State Government is not yet done with schools in the habit of organising lavish graduation ceremonies.
It has reiterated its earlier warning on the issue, mentioning outrightly the stiff punishment that awaits any school found culpable.
The ban covers nursery, primary, and junior secondary schools, any school that violates the directive would be shut down, the government states.
The Commissioner for Education, Wemi Jones, issuing the warning on Monday at stakeholders’ sensitisation meeting at Government House, Lokoja, said, lavish graduation ceremonies by undergraduates after their final semester examinations across the state remained banned.
The ban which took effect at the start of the current academic session, he added is to reduce financial pressure on parents.
He expressed concern that graduation parties are now held even for pupils moving from nursery to primary one.
“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.
The commissioner clarified that only students completing SSS 3 and moving to university are allowed to hold a formal celebration, in the form of the traditional 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 warned that schools organising ceremonies for pupils moving from nursery to primary one, primary six to JSS one, or JSS three to SSS one are infringing state law.
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“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 said enforcement mechanisms are in place, saying thousands of letters signed by his office have been sent to all schools, and he has visited schools within and outside Lokoja.
He also re-emphasised the directive on radio.
“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.
On school security, the Commissioner said the government has deployed strategies to protect students from abduction and attacks.
“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 focused on preparations for the 2025/2026 Annual School Census, which the ministry said will provide accurate data to guide education planning for the new academic year.
The Kogi government had in September 2025 placed a ban on incessant graduation ceremonies in secondary, primary, and pre-primary schools and sign-out in tertiary institutions in the state.
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