Chairman of NAPTAN’s Board of Trustees, Adeolu Ogunbanjo, expressed the association’s position in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday. He said it was unacceptable for any Nigerian school to demand payment in dollars or other foreign denominations, stressing that both schools and parents should reject such terms.
Ogunbanjo condemned the practice as one that undermines national values and economic stability. According to him, education should promote patriotism, not drain the nation’s foreign reserves.
“Education should teach patriotism, not drain our foreign reserves,” he emphasized.
He questioned why some schools would insist on collecting tuition in foreign currencies, pointing out that no other country permits such arrangements for international students.
“Ghana is very close to us but will not operate like that. Can a Nigerian pay school fees in naira in the UK or the United States?” he asked.
Ogunbanjo urged the government to take firm action against erring schools, including sanctions and possible closure, to deter others from engaging in similar practices.
“Any school or university doing that is unpatriotic and should be shut down until the policy is reversed,” he said.
The NAPTAN Chairman reaffirmed the association’s support for the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, who had earlier announced the government’s intention to clamp down on such schools. Ogunbanjo said the measure was necessary to restore fairness and discipline in the education sector.
Alake had made the declaration during the Nigeria Gold Day Celebration, held alongside the 10th edition of Nigeria’s Mining Week in Abuja. He described the practice of charging tuition in foreign currencies as a major financial leakage contributing to the weakening of Nigeria’s economy.
“If you look at the foreign currency that goes into some of these schools, it is humongous,” the minister said, adding that he would propose to the Federal Executive Council that all such schools be closed to halt further economic drain.
Both the government and parents’ body now appear united on the issue, signaling a possible policy clampdown on institutions operating outside the national currency framework. The move, they say, is aimed at strengthening economic stability and preserving the integrity of Nigeria’s education system.