For many Nigerian undergraduates, the end of final exams is marked with the “sign-out” ritual – classmates scribbling farewell messages on white shirts, a symbol of transition from student life to the broader world. Once a light-hearted campus tradition, it is increasingly under scrutiny.
Universities across the country have moved to ban or restrict the practice, arguing that it has strayed from its original purpose and become associated with rowdiness, safety risks and behaviour deemed undignified.
At Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) in Awka, sign-out celebrations have been indefinitely banned after incidents of disorderly conduct and excessive partying. A fatal tricycle accident near the campus gate prompted authorities to restrict all celebrations to faculty-controlled areas, aiming to maintain decorum.
Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University (IBBU) in Niger State has also outlawed the tradition, citing messy and unsafe behaviour such as students dousing themselves in ink and writing on clothes. The administration said such acts undermined the dignity of graduates.
Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUS), placed similar restrictions after reports of unruly gatherings, stressing that the institution’s reputation and the professional image of students must be safeguarded. In Kaduna, Kaduna Polytechnic (KadPoly) joined the list in 2024, calling the practice “uncultured” and contrary to its values of discipline and professionalism.
While many students view the bans as an erosion of campus culture, university leaders insist the measures are necessary to balance tradition with safety and respectability. For now, the white shirts and colourful inscriptions that once defined graduation season may be fading from Nigeria’s campuses.
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