Back To School: Can Nigerian Families Still Afford Education?

Every September, the same conversation returns: Are Nigerian children going back to school? The answer is yes—but that is only part of the story.

Nigeria’s 2024/2025 Annual School Census recorded almost 39.9 million learners, showing the scale of the country’s education system. Yet millions of Nigerian children remain outside the formal education system. UNICEF estimates that about 10.5 million children aged 5–14 are not in school, despite primary education being officially free and compulsory.

So Nigeria faces a difficult contradiction: More children are entering school, but many families are struggling to afford the cost of keeping them there.

ACCESS IS NO LONGER JUST ABOUT GETTING INTO SCHOOL

Nigeria has made education a legal right, but legal access does not automatically translate into economic access because for many families, the cost of education goes far beyond school fees.

There are uniforms, books, transportation, examination costs, PTA-related expenses and other charges. When these costs are added to rising food, fuel and household expenses, the beginning of a new school term can become a major financial burden.

For poorer families, the consequences can be serious. Some parents borrow money. Others move their children to cheaper schools, delay payments or reduce spending on learning materials. Some eventually withdraw their children altogether.

ENROLMENT IS NOT THE SAME AS LEARNING

Another issue is the fact that Nigeria judges educational progress mainly by the number of children enrolled. This poses a problem because being in school does not necessarily mean a child is learning.

Nigeria continues to face major challenges in foundational literacy and numeracy and organisations such as UNICEF and UNESCO have repeatedly highlighted the gap between school attendance and actual learning outcomes. UNESCO notes that schooling does not automatically imply learning, while poor learning can itself increase the likelihood of dropping out.

This distinction matters because a child can sit in a classroom every day and still leave school without the basic skills needed to read, write, calculate or compete effectively in the economy.

So the measure of success cannot stop at how many children are enrolled but it must also ask how many children are actually learning and are able to complete their education.

THE RISING DIVIDE BETWEEN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE EDUCATION

Nigeria’s education system is also experiencing a growing divide between public and private schools.

Public schools remain essential, particularly for low-income families. But private schools have expanded significantly, especially in urban areas and many parents look for alternatives they believe will offer better learning environments.

Again the problem is affordability. How so? Well, the more families depend on private education because of perceived weaknesses in public schools, the more education risks becoming closely tied to household income.

A family that can afford higher fees may have access to smaller classes, better facilities and additional learning opportunities. On the other hand, a family that cannot may have little choice but to depend on an overstretched public system.

That creates an uncomfortable question: Is education becoming increasingly determined by how much a family can pay?

THE REAL EDUCATION BILL IS PAID AT HOME

Government budgets tell only part of the education story. The other part is being paid for by Nigerian households.

Even when basic education is officially free, families still absorb many of the costs associated with sending a child to school.

And when household incomes are squeezed by inflation, transportation costs and rising living expenses, education competes with food, healthcare and housing for the same limited income.

For a family with several children, the pressure multiplies. The result can be a cycle in which parents are forced to choose between keeping children in school and keeping the household financially afloat.

This is why economic access deserves as much attention as legal access if not more.

WHAT NEEDS TO CHANGE?

Nigeria’s education challenge cannot be solved simply by putting more children on enrolment registers.

The country needs to address three things simultaneously: access, affordability and learning.

Public schools need adequate funding, infrastructure and qualified teachers.

Families facing genuine economic hardship need targeted support, including assistance with learning materials, school feeding and other costs that prevent children from remaining in school.

Illegal or excessive levies also need stronger oversight.

And education funding should be judged not only by how much money is allocated, but by what children actually experience in classrooms.

Most importantly, Nigeria needs to measure learning and completion—not just enrolment.

THE QUESTION BEYOND THIS SEPTEMBER

The back-to-school season should therefore force Nigeria to ask a bigger question.

Are we simply getting children into classrooms, or are we building an education system that families can afford and children can actually learn from?

Because access means little if a child enters school but cannot afford to stay. And enrolment means little if a child spends years in the classroom without acquiring the skills needed for life and work.

Nigeria’s education challenge is therefore no longer just about opening the school gate. It is about making sure children can enter, remain, learn and progress—regardless of their family’s income.

Zoe McDarlington Esadah