The Lagos fee landscape
Lagos is West Africa's largest international school market, serving an expat community concentrated in oil and gas, banking, telecoms and multinational manufacturing. Premium American and British schools quote almost exclusively in USD given long-running naira volatility. Premium tier sits at USD 22,000-32,000 per year. Mid-tier at USD 10,000-22,000. Nigerian privados with strong English programmes start around USD 3,000-10,000 in NGN equivalent.
2026 fee tiers (Lagos)
| Tier | Annual fee range (USD) | Indicative NGN | Typical schools |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premium international (USD) | USD 22,000 - 32,000 | NGN 35M - 51M | American International School Lagos (AISL), British International School Lagos (BIS), Greenwood House, Grange School (premium tier) |
| Upper-mid international | USD 10,000 - 22,000 | NGN 16M - 35M | Greensprings School, Lekki British School, Children's International School, Chrisland Schools (premium campuses) |
| Mid Nigerian-international | USD 4,000 - 10,000 | NGN 6M - 16M | Lekki Peninsula Affordable Schools Initiative-tier privados, mid-tier Chrisland, Day Waterman |
| Nigerian privado | USD 1,000 - 4,000 | NGN 1.5M - 6M | Nigerian-curriculum private schools with English instruction |
The hidden extras
Total cost-of-place adds 12-18% to headline fees. Largest line items: registration/enrolment (USD 600-2,000 one-time), school bus (USD 1,500-3,500. Lagos traffic makes this critical), uniform (USD 200-450), iPad/laptop programmes (USD 600-1,400), exam entries (USD 600-1,200 in IGCSE/IB years), trips (USD 800-2,500), lunch (USD 500-1,200. typically opt-in but common).
Year-on-year fee inflation
Lagos international school fees rose 4-6% in USD terms across 2025-26. In NGN terms, fees rose much faster (25-40% depending on school billing structure and currency timing) due to naira depreciation. USD-paid expat families on USD-billed schools experienced manageable increases. NGN-paid local families faced severe pressure.
Currency exposure and the naira problem
The Nigerian naira has been highly volatile and broadly weakening against USD since 2022 currency reforms. Premium schools billing in USD insulate themselves and their faculty (often expat). Some schools offer NGN payment at official-rate equivalents which provides some FX cost flexibility. Most expat employer education allowances are now structured in USD specifically for Lagos placements.
Lagos vs. Cairo vs. comparable cities
A premium American place at AISL Lagos runs USD 24,000-30,000 per year. The equivalent at CAC Cairo runs USD 22,000-26,000. Lagos sits slightly above Cairo on premium fees, reflecting AISL's particularly strong reputation and dedicated US-curriculum focus. Cost-of-living differential favours Lagos for some categories (housing in expat compounds is costly) and Cairo for others (food, lifestyle).
Sibling discounts
Most Lagos schools offer 5-10% sibling discounts. Some larger groups offer 15%+ on third+. AISL offers limited sibling discounts. See our sibling discount table.