Beyond Love, education is the most important gift parents can give their children. That is why a lot of parents go the extra mile to give their kids the best, especially when it comes to education. Some parents take their children to study abroad, while some decide to get them good schools here in Nigeria. Fortunately, some of the top and expensive schools are British and American, and most of them pay the school fees in dollars. So it is more or less like studying abroad.
A lot of all these British and American schools don’t come cheap. Most parents pay millions yearly to send their kids to such schools. Even parents who are not Abuja based also have their children in all these highbrow schools. Below are some of these schools. City People Abuja Correspondent, ADEBOLA OLORUNYOMI, reveals the list of top secondary schools in Abuja, how they were founded, plus what they offer and the fees charged per student.
AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, ABUJA
The American International School of Abuja was founded in 1993 when a group of parents and U.S. Embassy officials recognized the need for a school that would adequately prepare students who reside in Nigeria to continue their education in American schools overseas. The FCDA (Federal Capital Development Authority) gave permission to use one section of the Model Secondary School compound as a temporary site, and for the past 12 years, classes have been conducted on that site. The 2006-2007 school years was a landmark for AISA, as their long-awaited dream of having their own campus became a reality and they moved into their new permanent site in the Durumi District of Abuja. They currently offer classes for students in Preschool (3-year-olds) through Grade 12. And It’s one of the expensive schools rich children attend. They also pay a huge amount of money per session. To take your child to America International school, you will be paying between N1.5million to N1.8million per year.
REGENT SCHOOL, MAITAMA ABUJA
The Regent School, Abuja, Nigeria, is a Primary School of 460 pupils. There is a teaching staff of 60 and a further 25 administrative and support staff. The School was founded in 2000, with the express intention of offering high-quality British-style education to the children of Nigerian and expatriate families. It is situated in Maitama, a pleasant and residential district of the fast-developing capital city of Abuja. The school offers its own curriculum, which is very closely modelled on the British National Curriculum. French is introduced from Year 1 and the children have weekly lessons in Art, Music, Design Technology and P.E., as well as the normal range of core curriculum subjects. The teaching staff are all qualified degree-holders; some hold, or are reading for Masters’ Degrees.
The school is organized into three departments: Early years, covering Playgroup, Nursery and Reception years; Lower Primary, embracing Years 1 – 3; and Upper Primary, providing for Years 4-6. Thus, each Department looks after the education and well-being in nine classes. The school campus is arranged so that within a close-knit, “family” environment, the three departments maintain their own identity and have their own space. This is particularly so for the early years children, who are self-contained in their own attractive, courtyard setting a little apart from the older, bigger children. The very youngest children have their own separate Playgroup House and secluded garden. All classrooms are air-conditioned and in addition to these rooms, the School has an ICT Room, a large, air-conditioned Hall and a beautiful feature Library, decorated with African murals and imaginatively designed for maximum child-friendliness. A second, spacious library has been added, for the use of older children. Outside is a playground, outdoor stage and a large, very well-kept sports field planted with European-style grass and kept in peak condition by its own pop-up automatic sprinkler system. The exciting adventure play equipment has been recently installed in two locations on the campus. Each of the three Departments is led by an expatriate British teacher, combining knowledge of the British National Curriculum with international teaching experience. The total amount a student pays at Regent is N1.5million per year, and it has to be in dollars.
PACE SETTER SCHOOL, WUSE ABUJA
Pace-setters’ schools is another expensive school that the children of the top personalities attend. It was founded by Barrister & Mrs. K.I. Imansuangbon. Barrister Kenneth Imansuangbon, who is the chairman of Pace-setters’ schools. The school draws its strength from its name ‘Pace-setters’ meaning ‘stepping in the lead’. The school’s motto speaks for itself; setting the pace. Pace-setters’ schools are situated in four locations all within the Abuja Municipal Area Council in the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria, West Africa:- Pace-setters’ Academy Wuse (Nursery, Primary/Elementary, Pre-school through 6th Grade School), Pace-setters’ Academy Gwarimpa (Nursery, Primary/Elementary, Pre-school through 6th Grade School) Pace-setters’ College Gwarimpa (Secondary, 7th-12th Grade school with unique day facilities). Pace-setters’ College Wuye (Secondary, 7th-12th Grade school with unique boarding day facilities). All Pace-setters’ schools are situated in serene areas that are very conducive for learning. The school is known for its peculiar orientation, to both staff and the students. Their orientation teaches both staff and the students to set the pace academically, socially and morally. Pace-setters’ orientation also imbibes into the students the fact that they are Pace-setters’ in works and in deeds and also “once a pace-setter, always a pace-setter”. On this note, a very strong discipline is driven into the students and it stays. The school fees for the junior secondary school, is N1 million per section for Boarding students, while day students pay N800,000 per section. For senior secondary school, the boarders pay N1.5Million per section, while day student, N950, 000 per section.
LOYOLA JESUIT COLLEGE, ABUJA
Loyola Jesuit College is a private Roman Catholic secondary school in Nigeria operated by the Society of Jesus Religious Order. The school was opened on October 2, 1996 and is named after the Society’s founder, St. Ignatius of Loyola. Loyola Jesuit College is a co-educational, boarding institution located in Gidan Mangoro in the outskirts of Abuja, Nigeria’s capital. Loyola Jesuit College is regarded by many as currently being the best secondary school in Nigeria. The highly selective school has claimed the best West African Examination Council (WAEC) examinations results for the past seven years, as well as the best JAMB results for several of those years, and is thus regarded as the best in West Africa. The school has a reputation for graduating highly qualified students who go on to attend some of the best-ranked universities in the world. The 70.4-acre (285,000 m2) campus is fully fenced which ensures the safety of the students. Loyola Jesuit College is equipped with four large classroom and laboratory buildings, three large boys dormitory buildings, one very large girl’s dormitory building, a chapel, a huge dining hall, a multi-purpose ‘Memorial’ hall, and staff quarters just to mention a few. To take your child to Loyola Jesuit College, then you should be able to pay a sum of N1.5 per annum.
FUNTAJ INTERNATIONAL SCHOOK, KUJE, ABUJA
Funtaj International School (Junior and Senior High) Kuje – FCT is an off-shoot of Funtaj International School (Nursery and Primary), Asokoro, which was established 1997 by Engr. Tajudeen and Mrs. Funke Ibrahim. The school which was temporarily located at inception in 2001 at the Nursery and Primary School, Asokoro, fully relocated to the Permanent site in Kuje FCT on 2nd October 2002. Funtaj International School is Co-Educational, a fully Boarding and Independent Institution. It is liberal in terms of Religion, as it recognizes the practice of two major religions, Islam and Christianity.
Funtaj International School is a Private Initiative aimed at preparing children for the enormous task and challenges of the future through a well designed school curriculum that integrates cognitive, affective and psychomotor learning activities in a conducive classroom environment. Since Funtaj have primary and secondary school, each student at the secondary school level pay, N1.7million per session.
THE CENTAGON INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, MAITAMA
The Centagon International School (TCIS – Abuja) is located in Abuja – the Capital City of Nigeria. They have a private school serving grades Pre – Kindergarten through Secondary School graduation levels. The School officially admitted its first batch of students to commence academic activities in September 2010, giving students great opportunities to grow, as well as discover their unique gifts and academic talent. TCIS – Abuja also prepares students to take the standardized West African and Nigerian School Certificate Examinations (WAEC and NECO), in addition to foreign examinations such as the American College Board’s Admissions Test (SAT), Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), and the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma. The School provides a high quality educational and personal experience for every student. In addition, students were equipped to develop a strong sense of self-identity while recognizing the importance/role of an individual in the citizenry, and the ability to effectively communicate in a dynamic and ever-changing world. They provide quality Nigerian curriculum infused with American educational content in a stimulating, challenging, technologically superior, and caring environment. To ensure a high quality of education for their students, the average class size didn’t exceed twenty (20) students per classroom. TCIS – Abuja Secondary Programme includes Junior Secondary School Grades 6 – 8 (JSS 1 – 3), and Secondary School Grades 9 – 12 (SSS 1 – 3 plus). Centagon is another highbrow school, where they pay, N1.6million per annum.
PREMIERE ACADEMY, LUGBE, ABUJA
Premiere Academy is a world-class co-educational, boarding, secondary school located in Lugbe, a short drive from Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. It was founded in 2005. The school was set up to encourage and enable students diligently study academics and do well on all National and International examinations. They also nurture them into becoming well rounded and progressive adults. That’s why they carefully select teachers who share the same ideologies as they do. Every member of the school staff takes pride in providing a high-quality education for their students thus academics, creativity, sports and the performing arts are the first rate at the school, The school has a clean, new, fully staffed health care centre on site ready to treat and help students who have sustained injuries or have fallen sick while in school. Their school fee is more or less like other top schools, as each student pay N1.2 million naira per session.
NIGERIAN TURKISH INTERNATIONAL COLLEGE, ABUJA
Nigerian Turkish International College is a private secondary school, operated by Turkish educationists. The school is offering a qualitative science-oriented education of international standard to all its prospective students. Since its inception in 1997, in Abuja, the college has developed two more branches in Nigeria: one in Kano and the other one in Lagos, attracting growing attention from the parents who aim international standard secondary education for their children. Nigerian Turkish School, is also on the expensive side, as each student pays N1.2 million per session.
