AI agents for business finance: what they can and can't do
What AI agents can do in bookkeeping, close, collections and compliance today, where a person must stay in charge, and how to judge a product.
The short answer
Boarding in Nigeria costs more than the tuition line: expect boarding and feeding fees, uniforms, provisions, levies, exam fees and travel on visiting days and at the end of term. Pay the school's own account against its invoice, name a local guardian the school recognises, and keep in regular contact with the house staff. A child moving from the UK also needs travel papers, and Child Benefit rules change if the child lives abroad.
For some families, boarding in Nigeria is a choice made for culture, discipline or language; for others it follows a move or a family need. Whatever the reason, the parent paying from the UK has two jobs: budgeting for the full cost, and keeping oversight.
What you are actually paying for
School fee schedules in Nigeria vary widely between federal unity colleges, state schools, mission schools and private boarding schools, and they change every session. Always work from the school's current written schedule. Most schedules, and most parents' real costs, fall into these lines:
| Cost line | When it is paid | What to ask the school |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | Each term or each session | Is there a discount for paying the full year? |
| Boarding and feeding | Each term | Does it cover all meals and weekends? |
| Levies (PTA, development, sports, ICT) | Usually first term | Which are compulsory and which are optional? |
| Uniforms, boarding kit, books | Start of year, then replacements | Is there a list and must items be bought from the school? |
| Provisions and pocket money | Each term | What is allowed, and how is pocket money held? |
| External exam fees | Exam years | When are they due and paid to whom? |
| Travel | Start and end of term, visiting days, exeats | Who will collect the child? |
For a fuller breakdown of private school costs, see budgeting for private school fees in Lagos from the UK.
Paying from the UK
The safest pattern is the simplest: pay the school's own bank account, in naira, against an invoice that names your child, and keep the school's receipt. Avoid passing fees through a relative or a staff member's personal account. If the school accepts card or online payments, check what your UK card charges for a foreign transaction before using it for a large sum.
- Confirm the school's account details by phone with the bursary, using a number from the school's own website or prospectus, not from a message.
- Use your child's full name and class in the payment reference.
- Ask for a receipt each term and keep it with the invoice.
- If you pay in instalments, agree the plan in writing first; our guide on paying fees in instalments from the UK covers how.
Oversight from abroad
A boarding school needs an adult it can call within hours. Most schools ask for a named local guardian. Choose someone who lives within reach, can attend visiting days and can collect the child in an emergency, and tell the school in writing who it is.
- Agree how often you will call your child and when the house parent or matron can be reached.
- Ask the school how it communicates: report cards, parents' portal, WhatsApp groups, PTA meetings.
- Ask about health care: the school clinic, which hospital it uses, and how medical bills are paid.
- Plan at least one visit a year if you can, ideally on a visiting day.
Signs worth acting on
Distance makes small problems easy to miss. Act quickly if your child stops calling at the usual time, asks repeatedly for extra money, mentions being unwell without the school telling you, or if a guardian reports that provisions are not reaching the child. A call to the principal or the house parent, followed by an email so there is a record, usually settles the matter. If it does not, a visit or a change of guardian may be needed.
If your child is moving from the UK
A UK-born child travelling to Nigeria needs either a Nigerian passport or a Nigeria visa in a British passport. As at October 2026, NIS diaspora passport fees are US$150 for 32 pages and US$230 for 64 pages, and the High Commission in London adds a £20 charge. Our comparison of the two routes, Nigerian passport or visa for a British child, sets out the documents.
Child Benefit is the other UK point to check. GOV.UK says you should tell the Child Benefit Office if you or your child go abroad for more than eight weeks, and its page does not cover a child moving abroad on their own. Contact the Child Benefit Office before the move rather than after.
Where Pryme fits
A Pryme Personal account can be opened from the UK and holds naira alongside pounds. You can convert with Swap ahead of each term, with the rate shown before you approve, and pay the school directly with Send.
Questions people ask
How much does boarding school cost in Nigeria?
It varies widely by school type and changes each session. Ask for the current written schedule and add provisions, levies, uniforms, exam fees and travel to the tuition and boarding lines.
Who should be my child's guardian at a Nigerian boarding school?
An adult who lives within reach, can attend visiting days and can collect the child in an emergency. Tell the school in writing.
Does Child Benefit stop if my child goes to school in Nigeria?
GOV.UK says to tell the Child Benefit Office if your child is abroad for more than eight weeks. Its page does not cover a child moving abroad alone, so contact the office before the move.
How should I pay Nigerian boarding fees from the UK?
Pay the school's own account in naira against an invoice naming your child, confirm the account by phone with the bursary, and keep each term's receipt.
Sources
- GOV.UK: Child Benefit if you or your child go abroad · accessed Oct 2026
- Nigeria Immigration Service: Service Level Agreement 2026 · accessed Oct 2026
- Nigeria High Commission London: Requirements for e-passport · 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.