As schools across Nigeria reopen for the 2025/2026 academic session, many parents are groaning under the crushing weight of school fees that have nearly doubled in some private schools. From tuition to textbooks and uniforms, the new term has become an expensive hurdle few families were prepared for.

For parents with multiple children, the reality is even harsher. Imagine a father of four in Lagos: aside from paying ₦450,000 in combined school fees, he must also juggle house rent that has risen by 30% in a year, electricity bills that now average ₦50,000 monthly, feeding costs that swallow nearly half of household income, and transportation that has almost doubled since fuel subsidy removal. The arithmetic simply doesn’t add up, leaving many parents in debt before the term even begins.

School owners defend the hikes, blaming Nigeria’s inflation, which the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) pegged at over 21% in July 2025, alongside rising salaries, diesel costs, and imported learning materials. Yet for struggling households, this explanation offers little relief.

Education experts warn that unless the government steps in with subsidies, regulation, and stronger public school investment, Nigeria could see more children drop out, worsening its already troubling out-of-school children crisis. As one parent in Abuja put it: “You can choose to cut down on food, but how do you cut down on your child’s education?”