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The short answer
Makurdi has no published survey of private school fees, so the ranges here are labelled examples: roughly tens of thousands of naira a term at budget nursery and primary schools, and several hundred thousand at premium secondary schools once extras are added. Ask every school for a written, itemised fee list, because uniforms, books, levies and transport often add a large share to the headline tuition.
Why there is no official fee table for Makurdi
Private schools in Benue State set their own fees. The state regulates schools through registration and approval, and Benue's trade fee schedule even lists what a private school pays the government for its business premises (₦20,000 to register and ₦10,000 to renew a nursery and primary school in Zone A, which includes Makurdi, and ₦40,000 and ₦20,000 for a post-primary school). But no public body publishes what schools charge parents. Anyone quoting "the average school fee in Makurdi" is giving an estimate.
What follows is built to help you compare, not to tell you what a particular school charges. Every range is an illustrative example per term, rounded, for day pupils.
Example fee ranges by tier
| Tier (illustrative) | Nursery and primary, per term | Secondary (JSS and SS), per term | What you usually get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget neighbourhood school | ₦25,000 to ₦60,000 | ₦40,000 to ₦80,000 | Large classes, basic facilities, few extras |
| Mid-range established school | ₦60,000 to ₦150,000 | ₦80,000 to ₦200,000 | Smaller classes, labs, some ICT, school bus option |
| Premium or faith-mission flagship | ₦150,000 to ₦400,000 | ₦200,000 to ₦500,000 | Boarding option, strong exam record, wide activities |
Boarding adds feeding and accommodation and can double the bill. Schools in Makurdi's busier districts often charge more than those on the outskirts, but quality does not always follow price, so visit and compare results and teacher turnover as well.
The extras that change the total
Parents in Makurdi most often get caught by charges outside tuition. Ask about each one before you accept an admission letter:
- Admission or registration fee: often paid once on entry and not refundable.
- Uniforms and sportswear: sometimes sold only by the school.
- Books and stationery: a full book list for a new session can be large.
- Development or PTA levy: may be per term or per year.
- Exam fees: external exam registration for final-year pupils, such as BECE, WAEC or NECO, is charged on top.
- Transport: the school bus is usually priced by distance.
- Lesson or after-school fees, excursions, end-of-year parties and graduation.
Schools also ask for identity records. The Mandatory Use of the National Identification Number Regulations 2017 list school enrolment, from primary to tertiary, among transactions that require a NIN, so some schools ask for a child's NIN slip at admission.
A worked example for one family
Illustrative example: two children at a mid-range Makurdi school, one in primary 4 and one in JSS 2.
| Item | Per year |
|---|---|
| Tuition, primary (₦90,000 × 3 terms) | ₦270,000 |
| Tuition, JSS (₦120,000 × 3 terms) | ₦360,000 |
| Books and stationery for both | ₦70,000 |
| Uniforms and sportswear for both | ₦45,000 |
| PTA and development levies (₦10,000 × 2 children × 3 terms) | ₦60,000 |
| Total | ₦805,000 |
Check: 270,000 + 360,000 + 70,000 + 45,000 + 60,000 = 805,000. Tuition is ₦630,000 of that, so extras add about 28% on top of tuition (175,000 ÷ 630,000). Spread over 12 months, the family needs to set aside about ₦67,083 a month.
Public schools in Benue: what to ask
Many Makurdi parents move between private and public schools as fees rise. We could not find a current published Benue State list of what public primary and secondary schools may charge, so we cannot say officially which items are free. Parents commonly report paying for things such as PTA levies, uniforms, books and exam registration even where tuition is not charged. If a public school asks for money, ask:
- What the payment is for and whether the state or the PTA approved it.
- Whether it is paid into a school or PTA account rather than in cash to a person.
- For a written receipt with the school's name.
- Whether there is a waiver or payment plan for families who cannot pay at once.
If an answer is unclear, the Benue State Ministry of Education or the local education authority can confirm what is permitted.
Questions to ask on a school visit
- Is the fee fixed for the whole session, or can it rise mid-year?
- Which items are compulsory and which are optional?
- Is there a sibling discount or an early-payment discount?
- What is the refund policy if a child leaves after the first week of term?
- Are fees paid into a school account in the school's registered name?
How to plan for the fee bill
Most private schools want fees by the first week of term, which lands at the same time as book lists and uniforms. Two approaches help. First, save monthly towards the next term rather than finding the whole amount in September; our term-by-term school fees plan lays this out. Second, ask whether the school accepts instalments; read paying school fees in instalments. For the wider household picture, see the family monthly budget for Makurdi.
Where Pryme fits
A Fixed or Flexible Naira Savings Box in the Pryme app can hold school fee money separately from everyday spending, with the rate shown in the app. Loans on Spaces is not currently offered in Makurdi, because Spaces operates in Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt.
Questions people ask
How much is school fees in Makurdi private schools?
There is no official figure. In our illustrative ranges, budget primary schools charge around ₦25,000 to ₦60,000 a term and premium secondary schools ₦200,000 to ₦500,000 a term, before extras. Ask each school for an itemised list.
Are public primary schools free in Benue State?
We could not find a current published Benue State list of what public schools may charge. Parents commonly report paying levies, uniforms, books and exam fees, so ask for the basis of any charge and a receipt.
What extra fees do Makurdi schools charge?
Common extras include admission fees, uniforms, books, PTA or development levies, exam registration, transport and lesson fees. In our example family these added about 28% to tuition.
Do schools in Benue ask for a child's NIN?
Some do. The NIN regulations list school enrolment among transactions that require a NIN, so keep your child's NIN slip ready at admission.
Sources
- Benue State Ministry of Trade and Investment: Schedule of trade related fees (Law No. 3 of 2022) · accessed Oct 2026
- Templars: Mandatory Use of the National Identification Number Regulations 2017 · 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.