Benue Bans Basic School Graduation Ceremonies, Abolishes Extended Lessons

By Aremu Toyeebaht

The Benue State Government has banned graduation parties for kindergarten, nursery, and primary schools as part of measures to reduce financial pressure on parents and restore focus on learning.

Acting Commissioner for Education and Knowledge Management, Mrs. Helen Nambativ, confirmed the policy enforcement in Makurdi on Tuesday, warning that schools that flout the directive risk sanctions, including temporary closure.

According to Nambativ, the policy—effective immediately—will be strictly monitored, with a task force set up to ensure compliance. She added that schools failing to implement the directives in the 2025/2026 academic session may lose their operational license.

The state government, in a memo issued on August 21, stressed that the decision was aimed at sanitising the education system and curbing exploitative practices in schools. These include the use of customised, non-transferable textbooks and the imposition of compulsory after-school lessons without parental consent.

“All compulsory school graduation ceremonies in Benue State are hereby abolished, especially for kindergarten, nursery, and basic schools,” the memo stated, adding that pupils must return to the long-standing practice of passing down textbooks and exercise books to their juniors.

Nambativ described the reforms as “people-oriented,” emphasising that they would ease parents’ burden while improving academic standards at the foundational level.