Parents across Nigeria are facing growing financial pressure as several private schools increase tuition and other charges ahead of the new academic session.
The increases, which reportedly affect tuition, transportation, uniforms, textbooks and other levies, have added to the burden on families already grappling with rising food, transport and household expenses.
Checks by Vanguard showed that some private schools have raised their fees by between 25 per cent and 100 per cent, with operators attributing the increases to escalating operational costs.
School owners said the cost of running educational institutions has risen significantly, particularly expenses related to electricity, diesel, staff salaries, maintenance and learning materials.
According to some operators, maintaining existing standards while absorbing higher operating expenses has become increasingly difficult without adjusting school fees.
The development, however, has left many parents searching for ways to cope with the additional financial burden.
Some parents are considering transferring their children to cheaper schools, while others are negotiating instalment payment arrangements to keep their children in their current schools.
Parents said the situation could become more difficult if further increases are introduced, particularly for families with multiple children attending private schools.
For many households, the rising cost of education has created difficult choices between maintaining their children in familiar schools and moving them to more affordable alternatives.
The fee increases have therefore heightened concerns over access to quality private education, as parents struggle to keep pace with rising costs while school owners battle increasing expenses involved in providing educational services.
