The Rivers State Ministry of Education has directed all public and private primary and secondary schools across the state to close for the 2025/2026 academic session on Friday, July 17, 2026, in line with the approved academic calendar.
The Commissioner for Education, Dr. Peters Nwagor, announced the directive on Wednesday while monitoring the ongoing National Examinations Council (NECO) Senior School Certificate Examination in selected secondary schools across the state.
During the inspection, Nwagor expressed satisfaction with the peaceful, orderly and transparent conduct of the examination, commending students, school administrators and examination officials for complying with established examination guidelines.
He said the Rivers State Government, under the leadership of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, provided all the necessary support to ensure the smooth conduct of the examination across the state.
“The Government has provided everything required for the successful conduct of the examination. The exercise has been seamless, and students were observed writing their examinations independently without any form of interference. The Rivers State Ministry of Education maintains zero tolerance for examination malpractice, and anyone found violating examination regulations will be dealt with in accordance with the law,” the commissioner said.
Nwagor also cautioned private schools against organising end-of-session celebrations or graduation parties as a means of imposing illegal levies on parents and guardians.
He described the practice as unacceptable and warned that any school found extorting parents under the guise of graduation or end-of-session activities would face appropriate sanctions from the ministry.
The commissioner reiterated the ministry’s commitment to maintaining discipline, transparency and high educational standards across both public and private schools in Rivers State.
