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The short answer
Budget a Lagos private school as a full year of naira costs, not one tuition figure. Vanguard reported in September 2026 that most private schools raised fees by 30 to 40%, with one Egbeda school going from ₦250,000 to ₦320,000 a term. Add transport, lunch, books, uniforms and levies, divide the year by 12, and save that naira amount monthly from your UK pay.
Start with what fees did this year
Before you set a budget, look at how fast fees are moving. Vanguard's back-to-school report of 14 September 2026 found that most private schools it checked had raised fees by 30 to 40%. It gave two Lagos examples: a private secondary school in Ipaja went from ₦86,000 to ₦124,000 a term (about 44%), and one in Egbeda from ₦250,000 to ₦320,000 (28%). The chairman of the National Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria asked schools to cap increases at 20%. Headline inflation was 14.63% in September 2026, according to the NBS figures reported by Voice of Nigeria, so school fees rose faster than prices generally.
For a UK parent, this matters twice. The naira fee rises, and the pound amount you need depends on the exchange rate on the day you convert. Plan both separately.
What a full year costs
Tuition is usually invoiced per term, and Lagos schools typically run three terms. Around it sit costs that are easy to forget from abroad:
- Transport. School buses, a driver or a tricycle arrangement; Vanguard reported some schools scaling back buses because of fuel costs.
- Lunch and snacks, either a school feeding charge or money given daily.
- Books and uniforms, mostly at the start of the session.
- Levies for exams, excursions, sports, development or PTA.
- Extra lessons in exam years.
A worked example (illustrative)
Example only; these are not quoted fees for any school. One child at a mid-range Lagos private secondary school:
| Item | Per term | Per year (3 terms) |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | ₦320,000 | ₦960,000 |
| Transport | ₦60,000 | ₦180,000 |
| Lunch | ₦45,000 | ₦135,000 |
| Levies and exams | ₦30,000 | ₦90,000 |
| Books and uniforms (start of year) | ₦150,000 | |
| Total | ₦1,515,000 |
Divided by 12, that is ₦126,250 a month. If tuition rises 30% next session, it becomes ₦416,000 a term, or ₦1,248,000 a year, an extra ₦288,000 on tuition alone. Build that into your plan from January, not September.
Turning naira into a UK monthly plan
Work in naira first, because that is what the school charges. Then decide how you will convert:
- Convert monthly. Move a fixed pound amount each payday and convert at the rate shown then. You average the rate across the year and avoid one large conversion at a bad moment.
- Convert per term. Simpler, but each term's cost in pounds depends on one day's rate.
- Hold some pounds as a buffer. If the naira strengthens before a term, you need fewer pounds than you set aside; if it weakens, the buffer covers it.
Whichever you choose, keep the naira already converted in naira until the invoice is due, so that you are not converting back and forth. Check the rate and fee in your app on the day; never rely on a rate you saw last week.
Two or more children
With siblings in the same school, three things change the budget. Ask whether there is a sibling discount and whether it applies to tuition only or to levies too. Expect the start-of-year books and uniform bill to multiply, because hand-me-downs rarely cover a new curriculum list. And look at transport: one bus fee per child can cost more than a shared driver arrangement, which then needs its own monthly line. Run the table above once per child, then add a single shared contingency of around one month's total, so a surprise levy does not force an urgent conversion at whatever rate is on offer that day.
Questions to ask the school before you commit
- Is there a fee increase planned for next session, and when is it announced?
- What is included in tuition, and what is billed separately?
- Can fees be paid in instalments, and is there a late payment charge?
- Is there a sibling discount or a discount for paying the full session upfront?
- Will the school email invoices and receipts to a parent abroad?
For paying the school once you have the money ready, see paying a Nigerian school directly from the UK, and for the resumption week list, the Lagos school resumption checklist.
Where Pryme fits
A Pryme account holds both GBP and NGN, so you can convert monthly with Swap (rate and fee shown before you approve) and keep the naira aside in a Fixed or Flexible Savings Box until the term invoice arrives. Savings Boxes are for naira held in Nigeria; rates are shown in the app. Naira deposits are held by a licensed Nigerian microfinance bank, regulated by the CBN and insured by the NDIC up to the applicable limit. Outside Nigeria, Pryme's activities are carried out through regulated partners.
Questions people ask
How much are private school fees in Lagos per term?
They vary widely. Vanguard's September 2026 report gave examples of ₦124,000 a term in Ipaja and ₦320,000 a term in Egbeda after increases; ask each school for its current schedule.
How much did Lagos school fees go up in 2026?
Vanguard reported that most private schools it checked raised fees by 30 to 40% for the September 2026 session.
Should I convert pounds to naira monthly or per term?
Monthly conversion spreads exchange rate risk across the year; per-term conversion is simpler but depends on one day's rate. Check the rate and fee in your app each time.
What costs besides tuition should I plan for?
Transport, lunch, books, uniforms, exam and excursion levies, and extra lessons in exam years.
Sources
- Vanguard via AllAfrica: School resumption, parents lament as fees go up 40% (14 Sep 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- Voice of Nigeria: Nigeria's headline inflation drops to 14.63 per cent (16 Oct 2026) · 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.