Parents and guardians across Nigeria are facing increased financial pressure as primary and secondary schools reopen today, with several private schools raising tuition and other charges by between 30 and 40 per cent.
Checks by Vanguard showed that the increases are adding to the financial burden on families already dealing with rising living costs.
In Lagos State, some parents with children in public schools are also facing higher levies. Those who are not formally employed and therefore unable to obtain tax clearance certificates are now required to pay a N20,100 levy, up from N10,100 previously.
In the Ipaja area of Lagos, a private secondary school increased its tuition from N86,000 to N124,000 per term, while another school in Egbeda raised its fee from N250,000 to N320,000 per term.
Reports from other parts of the country indicate similar increases in tuition and other school-related expenses.
Fuel Price Increase Could Affect School Transportation
The rising cost of petrol is also creating uncertainty around school transportation as some school proprietors consider reducing or completely suspending their school bus services.
The latest fuel price increase came only days ago, despite school fee and transportation bills having already been issued to parents in July. Some school owners are now considering sending revised bills to reflect the higher cost of running their services.
More parents may also turn to private transporters and tricycle operators to take their children to and from school.
A parent, John Aderiye, said spending about N10,000 on fuel to take his child to school and return home would no longer be financially reasonable.
Aderiye said he had therefore decided to engage a tricyclist in his neighbourhood to transport his son, noting that the monthly cost would be considerably lower than using his own vehicle.
In Alagbado, Lagos, a school proprietor has reportedly stopped operating a school bus service altogether. Parents are now expected to arrange transportation for their children, while those who cannot do so may opt for the school’s hostel facilities.
The decision was reportedly influenced by the increasing cost of fuel and bus maintenance.
Private School Owners Defend Fee Increases
The President of the Lagos Chapter of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools, NAPPS, Otunba Yusuf Alaka, said private school owners should not be blamed for the increase in tuition.
Alaka argued that the increases could have been higher considering the rising cost of living and the expenses involved in operating schools.
He said many private school proprietors were also struggling with unpaid fees, with some collectively owed hundreds of millions of naira by parents.
According to him, some parents leave outstanding fees at one school and subsequently move their children to another institution without settling their debts.
Alaka also pointed to increasing operational expenses, taxes and government levies, as well as the rising cost of employing teachers.
He said schools in some parts of Lagos now have to pay teachers at least N150,000 monthly, while the cost of renting or maintaining school premises has also increased significantly.
The NAPPS official said school proprietors understand the financial difficulties facing families but urged the public to also recognise the challenges involved in running private schools.
Parents Struggling With Rising Costs — NAPTAN
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the National Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria, NAPTAN, Chief Deolu Ogunbanjo, said parents were struggling with the combined cost of school fees, textbooks and other educational expenses.
Ogunbanjo said many private schools had increased their fees by between 30 and 40 per cent, making it difficult for parents to cope.
He acknowledged the concerns of school proprietors over higher operational and maintenance costs but appealed to them to limit fee increases to no more than 20 per cent.
According to him, many parents have not received corresponding increases in their salaries or income and may therefore struggle to meet the new charges.
Ogunbanjo advised parents to consider schools within their financial means rather than placing themselves under unnecessary financial pressure by choosing expensive private institutions.
NUT Urges Parents Not to Give Up
The Chairman of the Lagos Council of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT, Hassan Akintoye, also acknowledged the economic difficulties facing families but urged parents and guardians not to withdraw their children from school.
Akintoye said the financial situation should not discourage parents from prioritising education, describing children as the country’s future.
He appealed to parents to continue making education a priority and expressed hope that they would receive the financial support needed to meet their responsibilities.
Uncertainty Over Federal Unity Colleges
Meanwhile, uncertainty had emerged over the resumption of Federal Unity Colleges following controversy surrounding the concession of Kings College, Lagos, to the school’s Old Boys Association.
The Federal Government, which owns the nation’s Unity Colleges, recently handed Kings College over to its old boys, a development that prompted the Parent Teacher Association of Unity Colleges to call for a boycott of resumption.
Social media reports at the weekend also claimed that the Federal Ministry of Education had postponed the resumption of Unity Colleges nationwide by three weeks.
Education Ministry Rejects Resumption Postponement
However, the Federal Ministry of Education dismissed the reports as false.
In a statement issued on Saturday night by its Director of Press and Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade, the ministry said a circular circulating on social media announcing an additional three-week holiday was fabricated.
The ministry confirmed that Monday, September 14, 2026, remains the approved resumption date for all Federal Unity Colleges.
It said there was no government directive extending the holiday or moving resumption to October 4, 2026.
According to the ministry, the fake circular was dated September 8, 2026, and carried the reference number FME/SS/UNI/2026/128.
The ministry also said the document falsely carried the name and signature of “Dr. (Mrs.) Aisha Garba” as Permanent Secretary, noting that the Acting Permanent Secretary is Dr. Mrs. Folake Olatunji David.
The Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, CON, assured parents, guardians, students and other stakeholders that the Federal Government remained committed to a safe and orderly resumption.
The ministry urged members of the public to verify information through its official communication channels and avoid circulating unverified government documents.
Source: Vanguard News
