Proprietors of private primary and secondary schools have defended increases of up to 30 per cent in school fees ahead of the resumption of schools for the 2026/2027 academic session on Monday.
The school owners attributed the increase to rising operational costs, including fuel, transportation, rent, infrastructure, textbooks and teachers’ salaries, reports The PUNCH.
The development comes as parents across Lagos, Ogun and Oyo states intensify preparations for the new academic session, with the state governments having fixed September 14 for resumption.
Some schools have increased tuition by between 10 and 30 per cent, while others have raised ancillary charges, including fees for textbooks, uniforms and transportation, in a bid to cushion the impact of rising operating expenses.
The proprietors insist that the latest fee increases are necessary to keep their schools running and retain qualified teachers.
A proprietor in Magboro, Ogun State, Bola, said his school increased its fees by about 20 per cent, largely because of the rising cost of transporting pupils and fluctuations in fuel prices.
He said schools were also under pressure to retain teachers, many of whom were demanding better remuneration.
“Teachers are looking for better pay. Some schools that don’t pay well may resume and find their teachers gone. Schools that cannot increase teachers’ salaries are closing down,” he said.
Bola added that his school was currently training its teachers ahead of the new session, saying the cost of retaining qualified personnel had become a major concern for proprietors.
Isiaka, who heads an association of private school owners in Ogun State, said schools in his area increased tuition by about 15 per cent.
He attributed the increase to the rising cost of petrol, teachers’ salaries, infrastructure upgrades and procurement, as well as rent for schools operating from leased premises.
He said textbook prices had also risen by about 10 per cent.
According to him, however, the increase in private school fees has not triggered a significant movement of pupils from private to public schools.
In Lagos, some proprietors said they had been forced to make steeper adjustments as operating costs continued to rise.
Aliyu, a school owner in the Satellite area of Lagos, said tuition in his area had increased by between 20 and 30 per cent.
He cited higher expenditure on fuel, transportation, rent and other operational needs, noting that his annual rent had risen from N4m to N9m.
“My rent was increased from N4m to N9m, and I have been told that it will be increased every year. Teachers are asking for double their salaries, and teachers are scarce,” he said.
Aliyu said proprietors were trying to keep tuition increases within manageable limits by adjusting ancillary charges.
“What we do is increase those ancillary charges while making minimal increases in school fees. We increase the cost of textbooks, uniforms and other fees to break even,” he explained.
Another proprietor, Ikenna, who operates a school in Surulere, Lagos, said his school increased fees by about 20 per cent to reflect the cost of facilities and services being provided to pupils.
He said the school spent N3m on interactive boards, adding that the investment also brought additional costs for electricity and staff to manage the facilities.
Ikenna said the rising cost of living among staff, higher rents and the difficulty of recruiting quality teachers were also contributing to fee increases.
He noted that schools often faced pressure to adjust their fees when neighbouring schools did the same.
“If a nearby school increases, there is a tendency for neighbouring schools to also increase,” he said.
He added that recruiting quality teachers from outside the immediate environment could also require schools to provide accommodation, further increasing their operating costs.
In Ebutte-Metta, Lagos, another proprietor, Lateef, said his school increased its fees by 30 per cent, blaming the decision largely on a sharp rise in rent.
He said the rent on his school premises had risen from N3m to N5m.
Lateef also said his school was considering stopping its bus service because it had become increasingly difficult to operate profitably amid uncertainty over fuel prices.
“Only big schools can keep running bus services at the moment due to fuel price uncertainty. Many small schools struggle to continue running buses, as the buses have become more of a promotional tool for their schools,” he said.
In Ibadan, Oyo State, a school proprietor, Morayo, said her school increased its fees by about 10 per cent.
She said the adjustment was relatively moderate because textbook prices had risen by only about two per cent.
The fee increases come amid preparations by schools and households for Monday’s resumption.
Parents have been visiting bookshops to purchase textbooks and other school materials, while pupils and students who travelled during the holidays have begun returning ahead of the new session.
At schools, head teachers and other administrators have been meeting with teachers to conclude preparations for the session, including reviewing records from the previous term, drawing up timetables and agreeing on organisational plans.
Some schools have also undertaken repairs and infrastructure upgrades ahead of resumption.
