School Resumption: Parents Face Up to 40% Rise in Fees

Parents and guardians across Nigeria are facing higher financial pressure as primary and secondary schools reopen, with many private schools raising tuition and other charges by between 30 and 40 per cent.

The increase comes at a time when families are already dealing with rising living costs, while school owners are also struggling with higher expenses for staff salaries, fuel, maintenance, taxes and other operational needs.

In Lagos, parents whose children attend some public schools are also facing higher levies. Those who are not formally employed and therefore cannot provide tax clearance certificates are now required to pay N20,100, compared with the previous N10,100.

Some private schools have also reviewed their tuition considerably. A secondary school in the Ipaja area reportedly increased its fee from N86,000 to N124,000 per term, while another school in Egbeda raised its tuition from N250,000 to N320,000.

The increase in fuel prices has also raised concerns over school transportation. Some school owners are considering reducing or ending their bus services because of the rising cost of fuel and vehicle maintenance.

The latest fuel price increase came after many schools had already issued bills to parents in July. Some operators are now considering additional charges to cover the increased cost of running their transportation services.

For some families, using commercial transport has become a more affordable option. Parents are increasingly considering private transporters and tricycle operators to take their children to and from school instead of using their personal vehicles.

A parent in Lagos said transporting a child to school by car could consume about N10,000 worth of fuel, making a neighbourhood tricycle arrangement a cheaper alternative.

A private school owner in Alagbado has reportedly stopped operating a school bus service completely. Parents at the school are now expected to arrange transportation for their children themselves, while those who prefer not to do so can opt for hostel accommodation.

The school owner’s decision was reportedly influenced by the rising cost of fuel and the expense of maintaining the buses.

The Lagos chapter of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS) said the increase in fees was a result of the rising cost of running schools.

The association noted that school owners were dealing with unpaid fees from parents, increasing salaries and maintenance expenses, as well as various government taxes and levies.

It also pointed to the growing cost of employing teachers, with schools in some parts of Lagos reportedly paying teachers at least N150,000 monthly. The cost of renting or maintaining permanent school premises has also increased.

The National Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN), however, said many parents were struggling to cope with the higher charges alongside the cost of purchasing books and other school materials.

The association appealed to school proprietors to moderate the increases, suggesting that fees should not rise by more than 20 per cent where possible.

NAPTAN also advised parents to consider schools that match their financial capacity instead of taking on expenses they cannot sustain.

The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in Lagos also urged parents not to allow the current economic difficulties to discourage them from keeping their children in school.

The union acknowledged the financial challenges facing families but urged parents to continue prioritising education and make arrangements within their means.

Meanwhile, uncertainty has continued over the resumption of Federal Unity Colleges following the controversy surrounding the concession of Kings College, Lagos, to its old students’ association.

The development had prompted the Parent Teacher Association of Unity Colleges to call for a boycott of resumption.

There were also reports circulating on social media claiming that the Federal Ministry of Education had postponed the resumption of Federal Unity Colleges by three weeks.

The ministry, however, dismissed the purported postponement notice as fake and maintained that Monday, September 14, 2026, remains the approved resumption date for all Federal Unity Colleges.

The ministry said the document circulating online did not originate from it and urged parents, students and other stakeholders to disregard it.

It further advised the public to rely on the ministry’s official communication channels for information concerning school activities and warned against circulating fabricated government documents.

The Federal Ministry of Education assured parents and students that arrangements were in place for a safe and orderly resumption.