How Much Does a Private School Teacher in Nigeria Earn?
None of us will know how to read and write without the help of a teacher or a certified tutor.
I can write such a quality article on this page because my teacher taught me how to read and write in nursery school as far back as 1996.
Children need dedicated teachers for their academic success and development because teachers are key to adult intelligence, accountability, and personal achievement.
Teachers start their school day from early hours to put in their best to make their students learn.
Through their daily work, teachers prepare lessons while teaching students and give extra help to those who struggle to understand.
Many teachers in Nigeria face unfair working conditions despite their hard work.
The situation is worse for teachers in private schools.
Since teachers put in so much in their work, they get paid little.
Some of these teachers receive their salaries late. Underpayment of teachers makes it difficult for them to provide for their family members and pay bills.
It’s a sad situation because teachers spend their daily efforts to shape the future of students, but they don’t get enough support in return.
Teachers deserve better recognition, and their work deserves better pay for all they do.
This article will discuss how much a private school teacher in Nigeria earns.
We have taken our time to explain why their salaries are so low and approaches to take to make things better.
How Much Does a Private School Teacher in Nigeria Earn?
Nigeria has no established rules for private school teachers’ pay.
Individuals and organizations that own private schools determine the payment structure independently of the state-sponsored salaries for public school teachers.
The individuals who own private schools determine staff salaries independently.
Below is a projection from our research as of March 2025.
1) The lowest teacher pay in Nigerian private schools ranges from ₦15,000 to ₦25,000 in schools spread across rural and smaller towns in the country.
2) The salaries paid to private school teachers are far below the national minimum wage of ₦30,000.
3) Very small and low-cost private schools pay their teachers under ₦10,000.
4) Teachers in Lagos and Abuja, and Port Harcourt earn slightly better pay.
5) Other top private school teachers earn as high as ₦50,000 to ₦150,000 (but these are very rare).
6) Regular private school teachers earn between ₦30,000 to ₦60,000 monthly.
Reasons Why Private School Teacher Salaries Are Low in Nigeria
There are many reasons why private school teachers in Nigeria earn low salaries.
One of the main reasons is that parents choose affordable schools, and therefore, the owners of those schools lower their tuition costs to attract more students.
That means the school gets less money overall. And that means less money is available for teacher salaries.
Running a school is expensive. There are the costs of rent, electricity, materials for learning and furniture, cleaning, and all the other expenses that eat into the budget meant for paying teachers.
Those expenses leave the institution with less money to spend on staff.
Many private schools in Nigeria operate without proper accreditation.
That means there’s no real check on how they’re run. Some unscrupulous owners use that to pay their teachers very little, sometimes without any benefits at all.
There are a lot of qualified teachers and graduates looking for work in Nigeria.
That gives school owners a lot of bargaining power and means they can pay their teachers less.
Low salaries have serious effects on teachers in private schools in Nigeria. And those effects aren’t just for the teachers.
Teachers lack sufficient funds to purchase necessities such as food and transportation expenses, along with housing and clothing.
These are the poor living conditions faced by teachers. We are not even talking about the stress and unhappiness that comes with it.
Lack of motivation is another. Teachers feel undervalued and unsupported.
All of this contributes to slowing down their work.
That is why you will see teachers having something on the side that they are doing (side hustle) just to survive and live better.
They might tutor students privately or run their small businesses.
That can be exhausting and affect their ability to teach well.
And then there’s the high turnover rate. Teachers leave to find better-paying jobs.
That means students have to deal with the constant change of teachers.
And that’s not good for anyone.
What are Some of The Major Differences Between Private and Public School Teachers in Nigeria
It’s important to understand the difference between private and public school salaries in Nigeria:
| Category | Private School Teachers | Public School Teachers |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly Salary Scale | At least ₦15,000 – ₦80,000 | At least ₦30,000 – ₦120,000 (average) |
| Job Security | Not always secure | More secure |
| Benefits (Pension, etc) | Usually none | Yes, often provided |
| Promotions | Rare | Available with service years |
This shows that public school teachers are better off, especially when it comes to job security and government support.
How to Help Improve Teacher Salaries in Nigerian Private Schools?
We must treat teachers well if we want them to give their best. Here are some things that can help:
1. Better Government Regulations
The government sets a lower wage threshold for private school teachers. Schools should no longer be able to pay staff at very low rates because of this.
2. Parents Should Be Educated
Parents understanding of teacher dedication leads to their willingness to pay more school fees. The money received by the private school should be used to improve staff salaries.
3. Financial Support or Tax Relief Should Be Given
Small funding grants and tax relief from the government should help private schools. School budgets will get extra money to pay worthwhile salaries to their staff.
4. Teachers Should Speak Up
Teachers should overcome their fear and talk about the bad working environment they face. Teacher unions provide members with protection of their rights through collective bargaining.
A Real-Life Example of “Miss Bisi’s Story” – Her Sad Story
Miss Bisi has been a trained teacher in a private school in Ogun State for 5 years.
Mrs. Bisi has been in the teaching profession for 5 years and gets ₦22.000 monthly.
The 5 daily classes are part of her work, and she spends extra time marking work and writing lesson notes, and cleaning the school premises.
One of the challenges she faces when paying for transport has made her increase her walking distance to her destination.
Teaching gives her joy, but she gets tired of earning little as a salary.
She plans to quit when she gets a better job elsewhere.
Many teachers in Nigeria share the same sad experience.
The financial problems Nigerian teachers face are faced by many teachers across the country.
Conclusion
All private schools in Nigeria depend on dedicated teaching staff as their backbone.
Teachers shape young minds and contribute to national development through the young ones. Most teachers face job-related stress because they earn little and work too much, and are not well appreciated.
The current minimum salary that private school teachers in Nigeria can access needs to be increased.
The government should collaborate with parents and school owners to improve teacher pay and the work environment.
Our effort to give our children the best education depends on our willingness to support their teachers well.
Let’s appreciate teachers by giving them proper compensation that matches their worth.
Another Useful Article:
The Impact of Unqualified and Underpaid Teachers on Primary Education in Nigeria
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