Benue State Bans Graduation Parties for Kindergarten, Nursery, and Primary Schools

The Benue State Government has prohibited graduation parties for kindergarten, nursery, and primary schools across the state. Acting Commissioner for Education and Knowledge Management, Mrs. Helen Nambativ, confirmed the directive to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Makurdi, warning that schools failing to comply would face sanctions.

Nambativ stated that non-compliant schools could be temporarily closed for disregarding the new education policy. She added that the government is putting necessary measures in place to enforce the policy, which takes immediate effect and aims to improve the basic education sector while being people-oriented.

The acting commissioner, who also serves as the ministry’s permanent secretary, emphasized that schools failing to adhere to the policy during the 2025/2026 academic session might not be permitted to operate. A government task force will be set up to ensure enforcement.

The policy, first announced in a memo on August 21, seeks to reduce financial burdens on parents and redirect focus to children’s academic development. Among its directives:

• Abolishing the use of restricted, customized educational materials that cannot be transferred to future students. Schools must now revert to the traditional practice of passing down textbooks to lower classes.
• Ending compulsory and extended lessons after regular school hours unless parental consent is given.
• Completely banning compulsory graduation ceremonies for kindergarten, nursery, and primary schools.

While the policy has been welcomed by some parents, like Mr. James Bemgba, who praised the move for easing financial pressures, some school proprietors have criticized its timing. One proprietor in Makurdi, speaking anonymously, said stakeholders should have been consulted and called for a one-year grace period for schools that had already procured the banned books.

The government maintains that the policy is designed to prioritize education, reduce unnecessary expenses, and ensure a more efficient and fair basic education system in Benue State.