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The short answer
Loans on Spaces can pay fees at schools that are Spaces merchants in Lagos, but only the school's own charges can go on it, and only after you have read the amount, cost and repayment date in the app. Before paying any Lagos private school, confirm it is registered with the Office of Education Quality Assurance (OEQA), and split the fee bill into tuition and levies so you only borrow what you must.
Start with the school, not the money
Lagos has thousands of private schools, from small nursery and primary schools in residential streets of Ikorodu, Agege and Alimosho to large colleges in Lekki, Magodo and Ikeja GRA. Fees vary hugely, and so does oversight. The Lagos State Government requires every private school to be registered with the Office of Education Quality Assurance (OEQA) at Alausa, Ikeja, and in January 2025 directed unregistered schools to register or face sanctions.
For a parent, registration matters for practical reasons: a registered school is inspected, it is more likely to be able to present pupils for external examinations, and you have somewhere to take a complaint. Ask the school for its approval or registration documents, and if you are unsure, ask OEQA directly. Do this before you pay a deposit, not after.
Read the fee bill line by line
A Lagos private school bill is rarely one figure. A typical first-term bill might include:
| Line | Usually paid to | Example amount |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | School | ₦350,000 |
| Development levy | School | ₦50,000 |
| PTA levy | PTA | ₦10,000 |
| Uniforms and sportswear | School shop or supplier | ₦45,000 |
| Books and stationery | School or bookshop | ₦60,000 |
| School bus | School or contractor | ₦90,000 |
| Example total | ₦605,000 |
The amounts are examples only. The point is the second column: not everything is paid to the school, and anything paid to a separate supplier or contractor cannot go on Loans on Spaces unless that business is also a Spaces merchant.
How Loans on Spaces works for school fees
Schools are a supported Spaces sector, and there are Spaces merchants in Lagos. The credit is lent to you by Solid Allianze Microfinance Bank and can only be spent with Spaces merchants. A limit is offered based on how your account is run; you see the agreement in full and accept it before anything is drawn. Our national guide on paying school fees with Loans on Spaces walks through the steps.
A worked example
Mr and Mrs O in Ojodu have two children at a registered primary school that is a Spaces merchant. First-term tuition and levies paid to the school come to ₦800,000 for both (example). They have ₦500,000 saved.
- They pay ₦500,000 from savings.
- They open their Loans on Spaces offer and read the amount, cost and repayment date.
- They accept ₦300,000, with repayment spread to finish before second-term fees are due.
- Books and uniforms, bought from a separate shop, come from their monthly budget.
The rule they follow: borrow for the gap, not the whole bill, and make sure the loan is repaid before the next term's fees arrive. If it is not, the next term starts in debt.
Time the money to the Lagos school year
Lagos schools run three terms, with the new session starting around September, a second term after the Christmas break and a third term after Easter. The state government publishes a harmonised calendar for public schools each session, and many private schools follow it closely, though some set their own dates. Ask your school for its calendar at the start of the year and write three dates in your diary: when each term's fees are due.
That calendar is the backbone of any plan. First term usually carries the heaviest bill, because new uniforms, books and annual levies land at the same time as tuition. If you use credit at all, choose a repayment date that finishes well before the next fee deadline, so the two never overlap.
Instalment plan or credit?
Some Lagos schools offer their own instalment plans, often with a set deposit and the balance by mid-term. Ask before you use credit. If the school's plan costs nothing extra, it may be cheaper. If it carries a charge, or the school insists on full payment before resumption, compare that with the cost shown in your Loans on Spaces offer. Our comparison of a school fees loan and an instalment plan sets out the sums.
Keep proof of every payment
- Get an official school receipt for each payment, with the child's name, term and amount.
- Keep your own record too. A verifiable receipt generated in the Pryme app can be shared with the school bursar, and they can check it is genuine and unaltered.
- If a dispute arises over what was paid, our guide on proving you paid school fees explains what helps.
- Watch for fee-payment scams: confirm any change to the school's account details by calling the school office, not by replying to a message.
Where Pryme fits
Saving term by term in a Fixed or Flexible Savings Box reduces how much you need to borrow, and your Personal Assistant can remind you weeks before fees are due. If you have a Loans on Spaces offer, you can use it at schools in Spaces in Lagos once you have read and accepted the full agreement.
Questions people ask
How do I know a private school in Lagos is approved?
Ask the school for its registration or approval documents from the Office of Education Quality Assurance (OEQA), and check with OEQA if in doubt.
Can I pay school fees on credit in Lagos?
Yes, at schools that are Spaces merchants, if you have a Loans on Spaces offer and accept the agreement shown in the app.
Can Loans on Spaces pay for school books and uniforms?
Only if the school or the shop selling them is a Spaces merchant. Items bought elsewhere come from your own budget.
Is it better to pay school fees in instalments or borrow?
Ask the school about its own plan first. If it costs nothing extra, it is often cheaper than borrowing.
Sources
- Lagos directs unregistered private schools to register (ThisDay, Jan 2025) · accessed Oct 2026
- FCCPC: Consumer rights and responsibilities · accessed Oct 2026
- FCCPC: Digital lending regulations issued · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.