Nigerian Parents Face Drastic School Fee Increases

Nigerian parents and guardians returning their children to school this week are confronted with substantial tuition increases, with many private schools raising fees by 30 to 40 percent. For instance, a private secondary school in Ipaja increased its per-term tuition from N86,000 to N124,000, while another in Egbeda raised its fee from N250,000 to N320,000 per term.

Public school parents are also affected, as those unable to provide a tax clearance certificate now face a levy of N20,100, up from N10,100. John Aderiye, a parent, noted that driving his child to school costs him about N10,000 in fuel per round trip, prompting him to hire a tricyclist for transport instead.

Otunba Yusuf Alaka, President of the Lagos Chapter of NAPPS, defended the fee increases, citing rising operational costs and unpaid fees. Chief Deolu Ogunbanjo of NAPTAN urged schools to limit increases to 20 percent, while Hassan Akintoye of NUT encouraged parents not to withdraw their children from school despite the financial strain.