Prominent Human Rights Lawyer, Femi Falana, has condemned the recent hike in school fees by the Federal and Lagos State governments, labeling the increases as illegal and a violation of the Child’s Rights Law.
The Federal Government had, in July 2023, raised fees for Unity Schools from N45,000 to N100,000 per term—an increase of over 120%. Similarly, the Lagos State Government announced a fee hike for state-owned boarding schools from N35,000 to N100,000 per term.
Falana expressed concern that with the minimum wage set at N70,000, many workers would no longer be able to afford to send even one child to school. “At N70,000 minimum wage, a worker’s salary per term is N28,000,” Falana noted, arguing that the increases make education inaccessible for many families.
Citing provisions of the Child’s Rights Act, which guarantees free and compulsory education for children up to junior secondary school, Falana vowed to challenge the fee hikes in court, calling them illegal. He stressed that these fee increases violate the rights of children to affordable education.
Meanwhile, parents of boarding students at Eva Adelaja Girls Grammar School in Lagos State protested against the fee hike, demanding an immediate reversal. They vowed not to send their children back to school until their demands are met.
