School Resumption: Rising Fees, Transport Costs Put Fresh Pressure on Nigerian Parents

Parents across Nigeria are beginning the new academic session under renewed financial pressure, with reported increases in private-school fees, higher transport costs and additional school-related expenses threatening to stretch household budgets.

As schools reopen for the new academic session on Monday, September 14, many families are facing a difficult calculation: how to keep their children in school while managing rising education and household expenses.

Checks cited in reports from different parts of the country indicate that some private schools have raised tuition and other charges by about 30 to 40 per cent. For families already dealing with increased living costs, the additional school expenses could make the start of the new term particularly difficult.

The pressure is not limited to tuition. Transportation, textbooks, uniforms, feeding, levies and other compulsory charges can significantly increase the total cost of sending a child to school.

Private-school fees rise as new term begins

Examples cited in the source report illustrate the scale of some of the increases.

A private secondary school in the Ipaja area of Lagos reportedly increased its tuition from ₦86,000 to ₦124,000 per term, representing an increase of about 44 per cent.

Another school in Egbeda reportedly moved its tuition from ₦250,000 to ₦320,000 per term, an increase of 28 per cent.

These figures are examples from individual schools and should not be interpreted as a uniform national fee structure. Private-school charges vary considerably depending on location, facilities, curriculum, staffing, boarding arrangements and the level of the school.

However, the reported increases point to a broader challenge confronting families: school fees are only one part of the financial burden associated with a new academic session.

Why school owners say fees are increasing

Private-school proprietors have attributed higher charges to increasing operational expenses.

Otunba Yusuf Alaka, president of the Lagos chapter of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools, said school operators are themselves dealing with substantial increases in the cost of running their institutions.

According to him, some schools are also struggling with unpaid fees from parents, while expenses associated with teachers, facilities, maintenance, taxes and other obligations continue to rise.

The issue of outstanding school fees has become particularly important for some operators because unpaid bills affect their ability to meet recurrent expenses.

Alaka argued that a 30 to 40 per cent increase does not necessarily represent the full rise in the cost of operating a school, saying proprietors have attempted to balance their financial realities with the ability of parents to pay.

Teacher remuneration is another factor cited by school owners. The cost of attracting and retaining qualified teachers has increased, while schools also have to finance buildings, equipment, electricity, maintenance and other day-to-day operations.

Parents face a second bill: getting children to school

For many families, the financial challenge does not end when tuition is paid.

Transportation is becoming another major consideration as parents prepare for the new term.

The source report said some school operators are reviewing or reducing school-bus services because of the cost of fuel and vehicle maintenance. In some cases, parents may have to make alternative arrangements for taking their children to and from school.

One Lagos parent, identified as John Aderiye, said he had opted to use a neighbourhood tricycle operator rather than drive his child to school himself because of the cost of fuel.

A school proprietor in Alagbado was also reported to have discontinued the school’s bus service, leaving parents responsible for transporting their children or considering boarding arrangements.

For households with several school-age children, transport costs can quickly become a substantial monthly expense, particularly where parents live far from their children’s schools.

NAPTAN calls for moderation

The National Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria has acknowledged the financial pressures confronting school operators but said parents are struggling to keep up with the increases.

Chief Deolu Ogunbanjo, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of NAPTAN, said parents are already dealing with the cost of school fees, books and other educational requirements.

He appealed to private-school proprietors to moderate fee increases, arguing that many parents have not experienced income growth comparable to the increases in their children’s school expenses.

Ogunbanjo suggested that fee increases should be kept around 20 per cent where possible and advised parents to consider schools that match their financial capacity rather than committing themselves to expenses they cannot sustain.

His position reflects a growing concern about affordability: keeping a child in school is important, but families also need to avoid financial decisions that could leave them unable to meet other essential household obligations.

Teachers urge parents not to give up on education

The Nigeria Union of Teachers, Lagos State chapter, also acknowledged the economic difficulties facing families but urged parents not to allow the cost-of-living crisis to push education aside.

Lagos NUT chairman Hassan Akintoye encouraged parents and guardians to remain committed to their children’s education despite the financial strain.

The warning comes as households make difficult choices over school selection, transportation, textbooks and other education-related expenses.

For some families, the new academic session may therefore involve switching to less expensive schools, changing transportation arrangements or negotiating payment schedules with school management.

Federal Unity Colleges to resume despite fake postponement circular

While families prepare for the new term, a separate controversy surrounding Federal Unity Colleges has generated confusion among parents.

The Federal Ministry of Education has confirmed that all Federal Unity Colleges are scheduled to resume on Monday, September 14, 2026.

The ministry also moved to debunk a social-media circular claiming that the colleges had been given an additional three-week holiday and would not resume until October 4.

The government said the document was fraudulent and did not originate from the Federal Ministry of Education. It reportedly carried a September 8 date and the reference number FME/SS/UNI/2026/128, while also using the name and purported signature of a person the ministry said was not its current Acting Permanent Secretary.

The Federal Government’s position was separately reaffirmed in a September 11 statement, which said preparations were in place for a safe and orderly reopening and that relevant security agencies had been informed of the resumption arrangements.

The Federal Ministry of Education officially lists Federal Unity Colleges across the country, including King’s College Lagos, Federal Government College Lagos and Queen’s College Lagos, among the institutions under the federal system.

Why the new school term matters

The latest school-fee debate highlights a wider problem facing Nigerian households: the cost of education is increasingly linked to other parts of the economy.

A family may budget for tuition but still have to absorb increases in transportation, school materials, uniforms, feeding and other charges.

At the same time, schools cannot operate without paying teachers, maintaining facilities, providing utilities and meeting regulatory and operational obligations.

This creates a difficult balance.

Parents want affordable education, while school operators need sufficient revenue to keep their institutions running.

The challenge for the new academic session will therefore extend beyond the question of whether fees have increased. It will also be about whether families can sustain those costs throughout the entire school year.

What parents should watch next

Parents and guardians should pay particular attention to the full cost of a child’s education rather than tuition alone.

Before committing to a school, families may need to clarify:

• Tuition and other compulsory fees
• Textbook and learning-material charges
• Transport or school-bus costs
• Uniform and activity charges
• Boarding or feeding expenses where applicable
• Payment deadlines and instalment arrangements
• Any new levies introduced for the session

Parents with children in Federal Unity Colleges should also rely on official government communication rather than unverified social-media circulars. The Federal Ministry of Education has specifically urged the public to verify information through established official channels.

For private schools, the coming weeks could provide a clearer picture of whether the reported fee increases become the new normal or whether negotiations between parents and school operators lead to adjustments.

For now, as classrooms reopen, Nigerian families are returning to school with a second challenge beyond academics: finding a sustainable way to pay for education in an increasingly expensive economy.