Lagos houses a good number of the most expensive schools in Nigeria including primary schools.
Within these institutions, tuition is not just a fee but access to global curricula, premium facilities, and carefully curated learning environments.
For many families, this is no longer just about schooling.
It is about positioning. It is about giving a child a head start in a world that is increasingly competitive.
But beneath the reputation, the branding, and the carefully curated learning environments lies a question that does not get asked often enough. Who is building these institutions? Who is setting the standards, defining the vision, and ultimately shaping what premium education looks like in Nigeria’s most competitive city?
This article spotlights the owners and promoters behind the most expensive primary schools, unpacking the individuals, families and organisations driving Lagos’ most exclusive education markets.
Methodology
This report draws on data on the most expensive primary schools in Lagos as reported by Nairametrics. Only institutions with clear, accessible fee information or confirmed figures were included.
Here are the key leaders behind the most expensive primary schools in Lagos in 2026.
Avi-Cenna International School is a co-educational British curriculum school located in GRA, Ikeja, serving both Nigerian and expatriate families seeking an international standard of education from pre-school through to secondary level.
The school was founded by Jordanian expatriates, Darwish and Raida Foudeh, who arrived in Nigeria with a strong commitment to education and youth development.
Their vision centred on removing perceived limitations in children and fostering a mindset that education has no boundaries.
They started the school with just 70 students and eight teachers, and it has now grown into a diverse learning environment and a student population drawn from multiple nationalities.
Avi-Cenna’s structure spans early years, primary, and secondary education, catering to children between the ages of about 2 and 16, with both day and boarding options available.
The school follows a British curriculum and prepares students for internationally recognised qualifications such as IGCSEs, while serving both Nigerian and expatriate communities.
Tuition at Avi-Cenna International School is estimated at about N3.3 million with fees reaching around N4.5 million depending on the class, excluding additional costs.
