As primary and secondary schools reopen across Nigeria today, parents and guardians are facing increased financial pressure, with checks showing that many private schools have raised their fees by between 30 and 40 per cent.
Parents with children in public schools are also not completely shielded from the rising costs. In Lagos State, some parents who are not formally employed and therefore cannot obtain tax clearance certificates now have to pay a N20,100 levy, up from the previous N10,100.
A private secondary school in the Ipaja area of Lagos, whose identity was withheld, increased its tuition from N86,000 per term to N124,000.
Another school in Egbeda also raised its tuition from N250,000 to N320,000 per term.
Reports from other parts of the country showed that parents are similarly facing higher school fees and additional financial obligations as schools resume.
Fuel price hike may hamper school runs
The continued increase in petrol prices is also creating concerns over school transportation, with some school owners considering reducing or completely withdrawing their school bus services.
The latest fuel price increase came only days ago, after many parents had already received their school bills in July. As a result, some school owners are considering issuing fresh bills to reflect the current cost of operating their buses.
More parents may also turn to private transporters and cyclists to take their children to and from school as the cost of running personal vehicles continues to rise.
A parent, John Aderiye, said spending about N10,000 on fuel simply to take his child to school and return home would no longer be economical.
“I have decided to save my self needless stress by contracting a tricyclist in my neighbourhood to take my son to and from school. What I will be spending on that monthly is a fragment of what I would have spent on fuelling my car to do so,” he stated.
Similarly, a school owner in the Alagbado area of Lagos has completely discontinued the school bus service.
Under the new arrangement, parents will have to take their children to school themselves or opt for the hostel.
The decision was reportedly driven by the rising cost of maintaining the buses and purchasing fuel.
School owners rue unpaid bills
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 fees.
“In fact, the increase ought to be higher than that if the cost of living would be taken into consideration in full force. The increase being complained about, that is 40 per cent, is small if we are to go the whole hog.
“But we are considerate too and moreover, many of our members have hundreds of millions of naira yet to be paid by parents. Do you know that some parents will owe fees here and take their children to another school the following term.
“If you look at a school and you see say 300 students, ask the owner how many students have fully paid their fees at the end of the term. That is apart from the operational cost that keeps increasing daily. We also have different levies and taxes to pay various tiers of government.
“People don’t seem to understand what we go though running our schools. People are running away from the teaching profession and to get people to take up the job, you have to pay them well. In some parts of Lagos now, you can’t pay a teacher less than N150,000 monthly. If you have your own permanent site for a school, have you considered the cost of renting a place?!
‘’We understand the situation and we are not too shylock in our thinking and action. Let the people understand what we are going through too,” he said.
Parents reeling under heavy economic weight — NAPTAN
Reacting to the fee increases, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the National Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN), Chief Deolu Ogunbanjo, said parents were struggling under the weight of school fees, textbooks and other education-related expenses.
“School owners have increased fees by between 30 and 40 per cent and many parents are finding it difficult to cope because of the economic situation in the country.
“What the proprietors are saying is that operational cost has increased. They cite the cost of maintenance of facilities, even classrooms, where if they have any repair to do, is expensive.
“Yes, we all know what the situation is nationwide, but we plead with them to reduce their fees. It should not be more than 20 per cent increase. Most of the parents and guardians that are going to pay don’t enjoy salary or income increment, most are not civil servants and even what is the level of the salary increment that civil servants enjoy.
‘’We are just pleading with them to make things easy. For parents, I pray that God blesses their pockets to be able to live up to their responsibilities. However, I would advise that they don’t go beyond their capacities. Private schools have levels, you don’t have to put your children in the very expensive ones,” he opined.
Don’t be discouraged, NUT urges parents
The Chairman of the Lagos Council of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Hassan Akintoye, urged parents and guardians not to allow the difficult economic situation to discourage them from keeping their children in school.
“Yes, things are tough. The economic situation is challenging and many people are struggling but that is not an excuse to withdraw children from school. I am advising parents not to be discouraged and give up. We have to take the issue of the education of our children seriously. They are our future. We must not joke with them and their future.
“As students resume, I pray that God will bless our parents to be able to do the needful. Education is the best legacy we can give them,” he stated.
Uncertainty over resumption in unity colleges
While schools across the country are resuming, uncertainty had surrounded the reopening of Federal Unity Colleges following controversy over the concession of Kings College, Lagos, to the school’s Old Boys Association.
The Federal Government, which owns the unity colleges, recently handed over Kings College to its old students’ association.
The development prompted the Parent Teacher Association of Unity Colleges to call on members to boycott the planned resumption.
At the weekend, claims also circulated on social media that the Federal Ministry of Education had postponed the resumption of Federal Unity Colleges nationwide by three weeks.
FG disowns circular on postponement of resumption
The Federal Ministry of Education, however, dismissed the claim on Saturday night in a statement issued by its Director of Press and Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade.
“The Federal Ministry of Education has disowned a fabricated circular circulating on social media, purporting to announce an additional three-week holiday for students of Federal Unity Colleges nationwide.
“The Ministry stated that the document did not originate from it and should be completely disregarded. It reaffirmed that Monday, 14 September 2026 remains the approved resumption date for all Federal Unity Colleges, with no directive extending the holiday or shifting resumption to 4 October 2026.
“The Ministry clarified that the purported circular, dated 8 September 2026 and referenced “FME/SS/UNI/2026/128,” is fraudulent. It also noted that the document falsely bears the name and signature of “Dr. (Mrs.) Aisha Garba” as Permanent Secretary. The Ministry’s 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 of the Federal Government’s commitment to ensuring a safe, orderly and seamless resumption.
The ministry urged members of the public to verify information through its official communication channels and avoid reproducing or circulating fake government documents.
It also reaffirmed its commitment to providing accurate, timely and transparent information.
