Dear Your Excellencies,
From a distance, I watch with growing unease as Nigeria’s basic educational system drifts away from its core mission of learning and discipline, sliding instead into a culture of extravagance and exploitation.
As someone born and raised in Nigeria, I remember a different era. Education then was about commitment, values, and academic excellence—not spectacle. As the youngest in my family, I recall with nostalgia how I made my way through school using textbooks passed down from my older siblings. There was no obsession with replacing textbooks each year.
During my primary school years, the administration of the late Professor Ambrose Folorunsho Alli—of blessed memory, and the first civilian governor of the defunct Bendel State—provided free textbooks and writing materials to pupils. Each book carried the proud inscription: “This Book Is Not for Sale, Property of Bendel State Government.” For me, it was a badge of dignity, not just an inscription. Certainly, there was no obsession with dressing toddlers in tuxedos and gowns for so-called “graduation ceremonies” from nursery school, as is now commonplace.
A Disturbing Cultural Drift
What we are witnessing today is a dangerous cultural drift: from learning to luxury. Nursery pupils and JSS 3 students now partake in elaborate “graduation ceremonies.” SSS 3 students are sent off with “prom nights” featuring limousines, red carpets, DJs, and after-parties—celebrations that have nothing to do with learning. These are distractions that burden parents, deepen social inequality, and normalize materialism.
Commendable Steps from Imo and Benue State Governments
It is in this context that I commend the bold actions of these two state governments.
In Imo State, under Governor Hope Uzodimma, the Ministry of Education—led by Prof. Bernard Ikegwuoha—recently banned graduation parties for nursery and JSS 3 students while also directing schools to stop the yearly change of textbooks. Similarly, in Benue State, Governor Hyacinth Iormem Alia announced the abolition of graduation ceremonies in nursery and basic schools, along with a ban on customized textbooks and exercise books. This was formally communicated in a circular dated August 15, 2025, by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education and Knowledge Management, Helen Zeramo.
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These reforms are not about stifling joy. They are about restoring focus, fairness, and balance. True celebrations should be reserved for genuine milestones—completing primary school, excelling in national exams—not for simply moving from kindergarten to the next class.
The Textbook Exploitation Crisis
Equally troubling is the exploitative practice of forcing parents to buy new textbooks every academic year, often without curriculum changes. This practice ignores the realities of most Nigerian families and undermines continuity in teaching.
Growing up, my siblings and I learned effectively from hand-me-down books because the curriculum was stable. The Imo State directive mandating that approved textbooks remain in use for at least four years is both compassionate and practical. It eases financial strain, encourages resource sharing among siblings, and ensures consistency in instruction—all without reducing quality.
A Blueprint for Reform
I respectfully urge the Nigerian Governors’ Forum to consider the following nationwide policies:
1. Ban graduation parties for nursery, primary, and junior secondary students, as well as prom-style celebrations for senior secondary students.
2. Mandate a minimum four-year use of approved textbooks across all schools, public and private.
3. Introduce clear guidelines to prevent financial exploitation and preserve academic integrity.
4. Reorient school culture back toward learning, discipline, and character formation.
The Stakes Are High
If we are truly committed to building an equitable and effective educational system, we must confront and eliminate the distractions, excesses, and exploitations that currently plague it. The commendable steps by Imo and Benue States show that reform is possible—and urgent.
Conclusion
Nigeria does not need limousines at school gates, nor toddlers in tuxedos. What it needs is a return to substance over show: children who take pride in learning, parents who are not exploited, and schools that embody discipline and excellence.
Let us, together, restore dignity, purpose, and integrity to Nigerian education.
Yours patriotically,
Clifford Ogbeide
Public Affairs Analyst
Lake District, Canada
