A senior lecturer at the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT), Dr Ovunda Ihunwo, has raised alarm over the growing culture of “sign-out” jamborees in Nigerian universities. He said that many of the students who participate in the celebrations are not academically qualified to graduate and called on parents to be more cautious before joining in such public fanfare.
The sign-out culture started many years ago as a simple way for final-year students to mark the end of their last examinations. In those days, classmates would write farewell notes on one another’s white shirts and celebrate quietly. However, today, it has evolved into a significant event featuring music, cameras, expensive attire, and sometimes even hired DJs and lavish parties. Many parents now see it as the official sign of graduation.
Dr Ihunwo described this trend as “deceptive.” According to him, a large number of students who join in sign-out jamborees still have carryover courses, unpaid school fees, or incomplete results. Some have not even submitted their projects. However, they put on white shirts and sunglasses, dance around campus, and deceive their parents and the public into thinking they are through with school.
“Parents must be cautious,” he warned. “Some of the children you see celebrating have not been cleared. They are deceiving themselves, their families, and everyone else. Graduation is not about customised shirts and noise, it is about real academic achievement.”
Observers say social media has made the culture worse. On platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook, pictures and videos of sign-out events are everywhere. Students want to keep up with their friends and impress their followers, so they join the jamborees even when they know they are not truly graduating.
Parents also add fuel to the fire. Some rent halls, sponsor big parties, or spend heavily just to show off their children’s supposed success. Later, when they discover that their wards still have academic problems, embarrassment follows.
While some Nigerians see nothing wrong in the practice, others believe it is already getting out of hand. Some students argue that the sign-out culture is not necessarily about graduation but about celebrating the end of years of stress and hard work. They describe it as a rite of passage.
However, critics argue that the jamboree is detrimental because it diverts attention from the primary issue, academic performance. They fear that young people may start valuing show-off and social media fame more than genuine achievement.
Some education experts have suggested that universities should establish clear rules to prevent unqualified students from participating in sign-out ceremonies. Others believe the primary responsibility lies with parents, who must demand accountability before spending money on any celebration.
The debate has also gone viral online, with many Nigerians sharing stories of students who held sign-outs only to repeat courses later or stay extra years. For Dr Ihunwo, the message is simple: integrity first, celebration later. “It is better to celebrate quietly with proof of success than to dance loudly in deception,” he said.
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