Families across Nigeria face mounting financial pressure as schools reopen, with higher tuition, transportation costs and concerns over student safety adding to the burden.

As schools reopen for a new academic session across Nigeria, parents and guardians are facing mounting financial and security concerns, with rising school fees, fuel prices and fears over the safety of pupils and students adding to the burden of resumption.

The President of the Lagos chapter of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), Otunba Yusuf Alaka, defended the fee increases, saying private school owners were also grappling with higher operating costs.

He argued that the reported 40 per cent increase was relatively small when considered against the current cost of living.

The National Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN) also said many families were struggling to meet the cost of school fees, books and other learning materials.

Its Chairman, Deolu Ogunbanjo, put the increase in fees by many schools at between 30 and 40 per cent.

The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) urged parents not to withdraw their children from school because of the economic hardship.

Fuel costs have also emerged as a major concern, with parents saying the latest petrol price increase has raised the cost of transporting children to and from school.

One parent said he would have spent about N10,000 daily on fuel for school runs and had instead contracted a neighbourhood tricycle operator as a cheaper alternative.

Security remains another major concern, particularly in boarding and rural schools.

Parents have called for perimeter fencing, increased deployment of security personnel and improved protection for schools, citing previous incidents of student kidnappings.

The Federal and state governments said security had been strengthened around schools, while the Federal Ministry of Education said the safety of students and staff remained a priority.

Parents also urged school proprietors to moderate their charges, saying every child deserves access to quality education regardless of their family's financial circumstances.

They further called on parents, teachers, students and other stakeholders to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious activities and unsafe conditions around school premises.