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.
British International Junior School (BIJS), is the primary school arm of British International School (BIS). It was established in 2001 by the Oniru Royal Family as part of its broader vision to develop world-class institutions within the rapidly expanding Oniru Estate.
The Oniru Royal Family is one of Lagos’ prominent traditional ruling dynasties in Eti-Osa, historically known as custodians of large portions of land across Victoria Island, Lekki, and parts of Ikoyi.
Prince Adesegun Oniru serves as Chairman of the Board of Trustees. He has chaired the board since 2017, providing strategic oversight to one of Lagos’ leading private secondary schools.
He served as Commissioner for Housing and Special Adviser to the Governor of Lagos State and then as Commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructure Development in Lagos State.
He attended Kafy Cross School, Lagos, Hall School, Sussex, England, and Stafford House Tutorial College, England. He holds a degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Westminster.
Before returning to Nigeria, he built his engineering career in the United Kingdom, working with firms such as WS Atkins and Essex Highways Consultancy, where he specialised in bridge design, inspection, and structural engineering. He also worked as a project manager with PB Kennedy & Donkin, contributing to major infrastructure and residential development projects.
Tuition for British International Junior School is N7.09 million per year for Year 4, excluding lunch and additional fees, bringing the total to approximately N8.69 million annually.
For Year 2, tuition is about N6.47 million excluding extras, and about N8.07 million inclusive of additional costs.
