By Ahmed Ahmed
The National Orientation Agency (NOA) in Borno says its sustained campaign against extreme and indecent "sign-out" celebrations, as well as other social vices among students, has significantly reduced the prevalence of such practices across schools in the state.
The State Director of the agency, Mr. Micheal Bdliya, disclosed this in an interview with Newsmen on Friday in Maiduguri.
Bdliya said the campaign was initiated in 2025 following a directive from the Director-General of the agency, Lanre Issa-Onilu, who flagged off a nationwide sensitisation exercise against the growing trend of inappropriate sign-out activities among graduating students.
He explained that the practice, which involved students defacing their white shirts with markers during graduation celebrations, had degenerated into indecent acts, with some female students exposing parts of their bodies, including their chests, for signatures.
According to him, the Director-General described the trend as morally unacceptable and inconsistent with Nigeria's cherished cultural and societal values.
Bdliya said the agency responded by embarking on extensive sensitisation campaigns in secondary schools, tertiary institutions and correctional centres across the state to educate young people on the dangers of drug abuse, cultism, indecent behaviour and other social vices.
He said the agency collaborated with Chief Orientation and Mobilisation Officers in all the 27 local government areas to monitor compliance after the enlightenment programmes.
"Our findings show that these harmful practices have reduced drastically. Many school principals have assured us that they have prohibited such unacceptable behaviours within their institutions," he said
The director listed institutions visited to include the University of Maiduguri, Ramat Polytechnic, Mohammed Goni College of Legal and Islamic Studies, among others.
He assured that the agency would sustain the campaign through regular follow-up visits, urging students to remain disciplined, obey school regulations, embrace patriotism and shun all forms of misconduct capable of undermining their future and the nation's development.
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