School Resumption: Parents Face Up to 40 Percent Fee Hike as Costs Rise

By Chibuzo Obidike

Parents and guardians across Nigeria are facing higher education costs as primary and secondary schools resume, with several private schools reportedly increasing fees by between 30 and 40 per cent.

In Lagos, a private secondary school in Ipaja reportedly increased its tuition from ₦86,000 to ₦124,000 per term, while another school in Egbeda raised its fee from ₦250,000 to ₦320,000. Parents in some public schools are also facing additional financial obligations.

The rising cost of fuel is adding to the pressure, with some school owners reviewing or suspending school bus services because of higher operating costs. Some parents are also considering using local transport operators to take their children to and from school as a cheaper alternative.

President of the Lagos Chapter of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools, Otunba Yusuf Alaka, said rising fees were driven by increasing operational expenses, staff salaries, maintenance costs, taxes and unpaid school fees. He argued that the reported 40 per cent increase was still below what some schools required to remain sustainable.

However, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the National Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria, Chief Deolu Ogunbanjo, said many parents were struggling to cope with the increases. He appealed to school owners to limit fee increases to about 20 per cent, noting that most parents had not received comparable increases in their incomes.

Meanwhile, the Lagos Council Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, Hassan Akintoye, urged parents not to withdraw their children from school because of the economic challenges. He stressed the importance of education and encouraged parents to choose schools within their financial capacity.

Amid the resumption, uncertainty also surrounded Federal Unity Colleges following calls by the Parent Teacher Association of Unity Colleges to boycott classes over the concession of Kings College, Lagos, to its old boys association. The Federal Ministry of Education, however, dismissed reports of a three week postponement, confirming that Monday, September 14, 2026 remains the approved resumption date for Federal Unity Colleges nationwide.