Parents Groan as Private Schools Raise Fees by Up to 30% as Schools Resume Nationwide

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Parents across Nigeria are facing another increase in the cost of educating their children as schools reopen for the 2026/2027 academic session, with many private schools raising tuition and other charges amid mounting operating costs.

Reports from Lagos, Ogun, Oyo and other states indicate that several private schools have increased fees by between 10 and 30 per cent, while some parents and education stakeholders have reported increases exceeding 40 per cent in individual schools.

The latest increases have added to the financial pressure on families already dealing with higher transport, food and household costs.

The National Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN) has expressed concern over the impact of the fee increases on parents, with its Board of Trustees Chairman, Adeolu Ogunbanjo, warning that many families are struggling to absorb higher education costs.

Ogunbanjo has previously called for greater consideration for parents when schools review their fees, arguing that increases in school costs have not been matched by equivalent increases in the incomes of many households.

The latest fee increases have been attributed by private-school proprietors to rising expenses, including fuel, transportation, rent, teachers’ salaries, textbooks, infrastructure and other operational costs.

The National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools has defended the increases, saying schools are struggling to maintain operations and retain qualified teachers in the face of rising costs.

According to reports ahead of Monday’s resumption, some private schools increased tuition by 10 to 30 per cent, while others adjusted additional charges for textbooks, uniforms and transportation.

For some parents, however, the increase is considerably higher.

A report on education costs for the new academic session found that some schools had raised tuition by more than 40 per cent, with parents reporting increases in other compulsory school expenses at the same time.

The increases mean that parents are having to budget for more than tuition alone.

Textbooks, uniforms, school bags, transport and other charges have also become more expensive, adding to the amount families need to find before children can settle into the new term.

In Lagos, concerns over the cost of public education have also surfaced, although public schools do not operate under the same fee structure as private institutions.

Reports have highlighted the financial burden faced by some families who need to obtain tax-related documentation connected with access to certain government-supported education services. One recent report put the relevant payment for some parents at ₦20,100, up from ₦10,100 previously.

Meanwhile, education authorities have warned schools against imposing unauthorised charges.

In neighbouring Ogun State, the Commissioner for Education, Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu, warned school authorities against imposing unauthorised charges on learners ahead of resumption.

He also disclosed that some parents were withdrawing their children from private schools and moving them to government-owned flagship schools, with nearly 80 per cent of learners admitted into the state’s flagship schools reportedly coming from private primary schools.

The pressure is not limited to tuition.

Rising fuel and transport costs are also affecting school bus operations, while some schools have reportedly reviewed or cancelled transport services because of the cost of maintaining vehicles.

Parents consequently face a double burden: higher school charges and higher costs of getting their children to and from school.

The financial squeeze comes as schools across several states resume on Monday, September 14, for the new academic session.

Federal Unity Colleges are also scheduled to resume on the same date after the Federal Ministry of Education dismissed a social-media circular claiming that their resumption had been postponed by three weeks.

The ministry described the purported circular as fabricated and reaffirmed September 14 as the approved resumption date for Federal Unity Colleges nationwide.

The fake circular had claimed that students would remain on holiday until October 4, 2026. The ministry said the document did not originate from it and urged parents and the public to disregard it.

For private-school proprietors, the latest fee adjustments are being presented as a response to the rising cost of running educational institutions.

School owners say fuel, salaries, rent, teaching materials, transportation and other operating expenses have increased significantly, making it difficult to continue charging last year’s rates.

Parents, however, argue that household incomes have not risen at the same pace.

The result is a growing disagreement over how the cost of education should be shared between schools and families.

While proprietors insist that higher fees are necessary to keep schools running, parents say repeated increases are making private education increasingly difficult to afford.

For some families, the response has been to search for cheaper private schools, move their children to public schools or reconsider whether they can continue paying for certain services.

As the 2026/2027 academic session begins, the rising cost of education is therefore becoming another major financial concern for Nigerian households, with parents calling for moderation and schools insisting that increasing operating expenses leave them with little room to maintain previous fee levels.