In a country where families are juggling rising food prices, rent, amongst others. The idea that some parents are paying millions in annual tuition feels almost unreal.
This sparks disbelief for some with a question of who can actually afford this.
Education has always been seen as a path to a better future in Nigeria. Nigerian parents, regardless of income level, are known to stretch their finances to give their children what they believe is a good start.
Cost-of-living surveys reported by Nairametrics show education remains one of the top household expenses.
At the very top of these education expenses are elite schools that offer premium education, with classrooms equipped with advanced technologies and fully fitted science labs.
Extracurricular activities that go beyond the typical Nigerian debate club and football, extending to entrepreneurship incubators where students were groomed to build and pitch real ventures and exposed to international environments from an early age.
Many of these schools operate foreign curricula, including British, American systems and sometimes blended with elements of the Nigerian curriculum.
They often recruit top-tier educators, including expatriate teachers and specialist subject instructors, to deliver these international standards.
Academics, however, tell only part of the story, for many parents; the appeal lies in the network these schools cultivate and the social capital their children acquire.
Students grow alongside peers from influential families, forming relationships that can shape future careers, partnerships, and opportunities long after graduation.
Here are the most expensive schools in Nigeria.
Hillcrest School is a long‑established Christian international school located in Jos, Plateau State. It was founded in 1942 by mission partners originally to educate the children of missionaries, and today it serves a diverse body of Nigerian and expatriate students from primary through high school.
The school is co‑educational and combines a supportive community with an American‑style curriculum, offering a full K‑12 education.
The school programme includes nineteen Advanced Placement (AP) classes, which are extra-challenging high school courses that let students learn as they would in college, get ahead in their studies, and possibly earn college credit before leaving high school.
Hillcrest School charges approximately N9 million per year for tuition.
It was before when education was priority of every home not now