Abstract
This
study deals with a critical
pragmatic examination of selected students’ sign-out images at amongst students
in Nigerian Universities. Every human
being experiences moments of joy,
which are often expressed through various forms of communication. Fundamentally, language serves as a medium through
which individuals convey feelings,
thoughts, and emotions whether through speech, writing, gestures, or symbolic images.
In recent years, both public and private tertiary
institutions in Nigeria
have embraced a tradition popularly referred to as “sign-out.” This practice
has become ritualistic, as it occurs annually and is usually observed a few
weeks before the final semester examinations. However, for many students
burdened with carry-overs (academic deficiencies) in examinations or project
work, this celebration does not truly portraits the completion of their
academic programmes. The joy of completing an academic program after years of
study is enormous and often reflected in the celebratory activities that
characterize the online
sign-out festivities. These events
involve not only graduating students but also peers and sympathizers who join in solidarity. This study explores
the communicative practices
evident in sign-out
celebrations, focusing on inscriptions on vests, the use of money bags,
vehicle parades, the spraying of money, and other symbolic images. The analysis draws on Ayodeji’s (2017)
modified critical pragma-eclectic theory, Mey’s (2021) pragmatic act theory,
and Fairclough’s (1989) notion of critical discourse analysis to
examine how these communicative tools function as expressions of identity and celebration across
faculties and departments in selected Nigerian
Universities Students. The study adopts a purposive random sampling
technique, selecting 10 images from a total pool of sign- out images,
consistent with the sample size determination approach of Krejcie and Morgan
(1990) as applied in Onucheyo (2015). Findings
reveal that sign-out
activities often expose
questionable and clandestine practices among
students, which have adverse effects on the institution, the students
themselves, and their parents. The tension generated by these practices recently prompted
the Government of some states to issue a
hasty ban on student sign- out
celebrations, citing reckless driving and disruptive activities on campus and
in surrounding streets. The study concludes
that graduating students
should be encouraged to observe formal
sign-out celebrations on their convocation day, rather than engaging in
premature and potentially disruptive festivities.
Keywords: Critical, Examination, Images, Pragmatics, Sign-out
DOI: 10.36349/alqajolls.2026.v01i02.008
author/Onuche, Joshua Ene'ojo (PhD) & Onucheyo Antonio Friday Ph.D
journal/AL-QALAM JLLS 1(2) | June 2026
