Why British boarding schools are so eager to open in Nigeria

For many years, the wealthy Nigerians have sent their children to prestigious British boarding schools – but now some of these institutions set up campuses in the most populous nation in Africa.

Last year, Charterhouse launched a primary school in the city of Lagos and will open a secondary school in September.

The rugby school will also start to offer secondary education in September. Other well -known institutions, such as Millfield, Wellington School and Harrow, also explore opportunities in Nigeria.

This obviously comes with a prize for Nigerian parents – but the country’s well -noined elite historically sent their children to the United Kingdom for secondary education, attracted by the rigor, prestige and global opportunities for the British program.

“I am really excited about this,” said Karima Oyede, a British-Nigerian management consultant, whose son is currently in 10th year in rugby in the United Kingdom, but will move to his Lagos school in September.

His family intends to move to Nigeria for some time, but did not do it earlier due to the education of children.

“Having the opportunity to discover the British system in your country of origin is the best of both worlds,” she said.

Nigeria already has a proliferation of private schools, but high -quality education and recognized within the country will appeal to many parents, in particular those who wish to preserve the cultural identity of their children.

“African parents like the fact that they give their children an international position so that they can compete with their counterparts in any other part of the world, but they do not want their children to lose their African,” said Ijay Uwakwe-Okoronkwo, the founder of Nkuzhi Learning Foundation in the capital of Nigeria, Abuja.

The educational consultant, who advises parents and schools on international pension options, explains that the most relaxed and less respectful attitude of children returns to school abroad is not always appreciated.

This cultural dilemma extends to growing conversation around LGBTQ problems. Homosexual relations and public manifestations of affection are illegal in Nigeria and homosexuality is not openly discussed or promoted.

This is something that the new harvest of British schools has taken on board. For example, while Charterhouse UK displays a rainbow flag, the Nigerian school does not do so.

“We are a British independent school but seated firmly in Nigerian cultural needs,” said John Todd, head of Charterhouse Nigeria.

“There is this enormous concern about Western cultural opinions.

“For parents here, we know it’s a very big problem. This is a reason why parents are concerned about British schools.

“I don’t make a judgment – it’s just like that.”

British institutions in Nigeria have no choice but to “follow the law of the country”, he admits, adding: “We are 100% compliant”.

Recognizing the deeply religious society of Nigeria, Charterhouse also allows parents to bring their children back to the house of the house for Sunday religious services, with the expectation of their return on Monday morning.

There are several reasons behind the growing interest of the prestigious British schools in the opening campuses of Nigeria.

While regions like the Middle East and China are already saturated with international schools, Africa is a relatively virgin territory.

“Nigeria is the gateway to Africa, and Africa is in a way the last continent for British schools,” said Mark Brooks, champion of exports from the British department for business and trade.

It organizes annual events in Nigeria where around 20 British schools meet potential students and parents.

“Nigeria has an incredible reputation for producing motivated and very efficient students,” said Brooks.

“There is no school with which I work which has not recently served as a Nigerian student as a chief or deputy chief boy. A student can join the sixth form and end up being the chief of the range within a year.

“I have brought hundreds of school leaders to Nigeria over the years, and the word is in the United Kingdom that we have to take Nigeria seriously.”

The timing has also proved key, as the cost of sending children to the United Kingdom has shown. Only three years ago, the exchange rate of the local currency was 500 nairas at £ 1; Now it is at 2,200 Nairas.

In addition to this, the Labor Government of the United Kingdom recently imposed a 20% VAT on private school charges.

Beyond tuition fees, families face additional expenses such as flights for students and parents visiting.

The establishment of these schools in Nigeria allows families to maintain the same level of education while considerably reducing financial pressure.

The annual costs in Charterhouse UK, for example, are about £ 60,000 ($ 78,000), while the costs of its Lagos campus is equivalent to around £ 15,000.

“Our main teachers are expatriates, but 90% of the staff is local,” said Todd.

By using local populations in roles such as assistant teachers, administration, finance, human resources, marketing, facilities, safety, gardeners, drivers, steps and secretaries, school can considerably reduce costs compared to the United Kingdom, where work is much more expensive.

A vast education gap already exists in Nigeria, many parents opting for private quality education. Many have trouble paying higher costs rather than sending their children to public schools, which are often free but prey to poorly trained teachers and frequent strikes.

Consequently, the arrival of British schools may not considerably change the Nigeria education system.

However, they could constitute a threat to elite schools established like the British International School in Lagos and the Regent School of Abuja, which opened in the early 2000s.

These schools have long been the best choices for those who can pay annual tuition fees that often reach tens of thousands of dollars.

“The Nigeria rugby school also supports, developing and learning schools currently in Nigeria,” said Brooks, who is in charge of school marketing.

“We also come with partnerships, teacher training and a whole range of initiatives.”

Mr. Todd believes that the Nigerian market is large enough to adapt to all new schools without threatening existing ones. About 40% of 200 million people are under 14 years of age.

He expects the greatest impact to feel in the United Kingdom.

While Charterhouse UK generally has a long waiting list and should not be affected, less sought -after boarding schools may be decreasing in registration due to the new competition in Nigeria.

“The interest in our secondary school is very strong,” said Todd. “We already have Nigerian parents in the United Kingdom who send their children to the Charterhouse to Nigeria for September.”

In fact, reaching out to Nigerians in the United Kingdom was one of their main marketing strategies.

“You get this leading brand at a lower price, and each Nigerian has an aunt or an uncle in Lagos” which can be a guardian, he adds.

This trend may extend to British universities. The Nigeria Higher Education System is faced with even greater challenges than its secondary sector, many students choosing to study abroad.

In 2023, Nigeria ranked among the first 10 countries for British student visas, according to data from the British government.

But with exchange difficulties and stricter visa regulations, study abroad becomes more and more difficult – and universities that depend on international tuition fees seem to suffer.

Earlier this month, British MP Helen Hayes, president of the parliamentary education committee, acknowledged that the UK’s higher education sector was in difficulty.

“Dozens of universities perform redundancies and cuts, trying to stay afloat in an uncertainty about the origin of their money,” She said when announcing a session to consider the future of the sector.

If enough Nigerian students can no longer go to the United Kingdom to study, British universities can find a profit to come to them, as they have it in the world.

In fact, the first University of Nigeria, the University of Ibadan, was created in 1948 as a campus of the University of London, with diplomas awarded by the same value and the same prestige.

Ms. Uwakwe-Okoronkwo thinks that many Nigerian parents would appreciate this opportunity, because it would allow their children to stay in Nigeria long enough to mature before moving potentially abroad, if they choose to do so.

“Many parents fear sending their children out of the nest too early,” she said.

For Ms. Oyede, whose girl will also start at the Lagos rugby school in September, the moment of all this could not be better.

She says that the opening of the British school has already been an “incitement to go home”.

The prospect of university opportunities would be a welcome bonus.

Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani is an independent Nigerian journalist and novelist based in Abuja and London.