Nigeria’s private education sector, which has experienced growth of 39 percent between 2017 and 2022, will now operate under new government regulations designed to improve quality and accountability standards across the country’s diverse educational landscape.
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Education Minister Dr. Tunji Alausa announced the comprehensive policy framework for non-state schools on Wednesday in Abuja.
The policy addresses infrastructure requirements, teacher certification standards, curriculum delivery protocols, and accountability measures for institutions ranging from faith-based schools to home schooling centres and community learning facilities. The initiative emerges as part of President Bola Tinubu’s National Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI), which positions education as a cornerstone of national development.
“By harnessing the potential of non-state schools, we can increase access to quality education, improve learning outcomes, and promote economic growth,” Alausa stated during the policy launch, stating the government’s recognition of private education’s expanding role in serving Nigerian students.
The timing reflects urgent demographic realities facing Nigeria’s education system. While non-state schools expanded by 39 percent over the five-year period, government-run primary and junior secondary schools grew by only 3.5 percent and 6.3 percent, respectively, highlighting the private sector’s crucial role in accommodating the country’s growing student population.
The policy development received support from the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) under the Partnership for Learning for All in Nigeria programme, building on decades of British educational cooperation with Nigeria. Senior Education Adviser Ian Attfield from the British Council noted that explosive urban growth in cities like Lagos had far outpaced public school expansion, creating natural demand for alternative educational providers.
Attfield referenced pioneering research by UK academic Professor James Tooley, whose book “The Beautiful Tree” documented the organic emergence of private schools operating beyond government oversight. “That research highlighted a basic economic reality: when demand for education outstrips government provision, alternative forms of schooling emerge organically,” he explained.
A significant component of the new framework addresses teacher qualification standards, responding to alarming statistics from the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN). The council’s registrar, Dr. Ronke Soyombo, revealed that over 85 percent of practicing teachers remain unregistered with the professional body. The new policy mandates that all non-state school teachers must obtain registration, certification, and licensing through TRCN.
“In readiness to address the implementation of the non-state schools policy, the TRCN is working to make registration, certification, and licensing seamless for non-state school teachers nationwide,” Soyombo assured stakeholders.
The government plans to implement practical incentives for private school operators beginning with the 2025-2026 academic session. These include indirect reimbursement programmes for enrolling out-of-school children and direct grants and vouchers through the Universal Basic Education Commission to support privately owned early childhood development centers.
Alausa noted the government’s dual approach of regulation and support, stating that while authorities appreciate private schools’ contributions, they remain “determined to ensure better regulation, accountability, and support so they can deliver higher-quality education to our children.”
The policy framework encompasses various educational institutions, including faith-based schools, private schools, home schooling centres, tutorial and adult learning facilities, voluntary and charity schools, and community-based educational programmes. Each category will be subject to minimum standards for infrastructure, curriculum delivery, and teacher qualifications while maintaining a collaborative relationship with government oversight bodies.
The approach shows that Nigeria has recognised that private education providers have become indispensable partners in addressing the country’s educational challenges, particularly in urban areas where population growth has outstripped government capacity to build and staff traditional public schools.
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