The National Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN) has condemned Nigerian leaders for contributing to the rise in exorbitant tuition fees at private schools, like Charterhouse, a British institution in Lekki, Lagos, which charges up to ₦42 million annually.

The controversy reignited after a video showcasing the school’s lavish facilities surfaced.

Chief Deolu Ogunbanjo, Deputy National President of NAPTAN, criticised the trend of political elites sending their children to expensive private schools while allowing public education to deteriorate.

“Our leaders are the primary patrons of such schools, and by doing so, they criminally abandon public institutions,” Ogunbanjo remarked in a conversation with Vanguard.

“That is the problem with today’s parents. Our leaders are the main patrons of such schools where high fees are demanded. It is everywhere. I think what we should do is to task our leaders that they must ensure that their wards and children attend public schools. The late Chief Lateef Kayode Jakande did that when he was the governor of Lagos State in the Second Republic. He withdrew his children from private schools and put them in public schools in Ilupeju, Lagos.”

“It is when we demand that they would pay attention to public schools that have been criminally neglected. Look at the budget for education now. This year, at the federal level, it’s just a little over 7 percent of the total budget. If we cannot meet the international benchmark of 20-25 percent, why should we not do at least 15 percent? Only two states or so have a budget for education that is about 10 percent. That is grossly inadequate,” he stated.

Ogunbanjo called on Nigerians to demand that their leaders enrol their children in public schools, arguing that this would compel greater investment in the sector.

Charterhouse, which opened its first African campus in Lagos in September 2024, has previously drawn criticism for its unaffordable fees, rendering it inaccessible to most Nigerian families and highlighting the growing divide between the country’s elite and the general population.