Tuition fees hike imminent as private schools spend fortune on security 

Average schools spend N10m yearly, says administrators
Private schools in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have expressed fear that the high cost of securing their facilities from marauding kidnappers may lead to increase in school fees.

An administrator of a private secondary school in a satellite town in Abuja, who would not want her name or that of her school to be mentioned, stated that it cost a minimum of N5 million to pay salaries of security personnel who are on guard 24 hours daily.

This, she said, excludes the cost of security equipment and powering them overnight.

While admitting the harsh economic reality confronting Nigerians, she said the increase in school fees remains imminent as schools are almost running at a loss.

Another private school owner in the Lugbe area of the city, who runs day school, put the cost of hiring local vigilantes at over N3 million yearly. This comprises a monthly salary of N75,000 each for four vigilantes.

He said: “Two of them must be on the ground at a time. This is because it is an average school, a bigger school would require about eight of them. This does not include the cost of Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV), lighting of the environment and purchase of tools for the security operatives.

“Remember also that the cost is minimal because we are using local vigilante. If we decide to engage the police, obtaining an application alone costs over N1 million.”

A source at a private university also revealed that the institution spent a fortune providing security. He informed that the school had already liaised with the Army, which provided an Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) as well as equipped the police with adequate security gadgets.

The school, he added, has armed security guards that patrol the institution round the clock, in addition to activities of the army, police and Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

Decrying government apathy over its constitutional responsibility, he regretted that parents would eventually be at the receiving end, if nothing urgent is done to stem the tide.

FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, has suddenly increased operational fees for private school owners in Abuja.

Under the approved new tax regime, each school will be billed according to tuition paid by students and the number of enrolments.

A memo entitled, ‘Review of private school operation charges in FCT’ issued by the Head of Account, Department of Quality Assurance of the Education Secretariat, Mudi Muhammed, said the directive would be effective January.

Reacting, the National Association of Proprietors of Private School Owners in the FCT rejected the increase through a letter addressed to the Education Secretariat.

It noted that such a tax review at a time when the Federal Government had promised to eliminate multiple taxes would only increase the cost of education beyond the reach of many parents, thus adding to the population of out-of-school children.

Chairperson of the association, Ruqayah Agboola, stated that the new development would add more pressure on private schools, as it will increase their running cost.