Nigeria’s education services inflation rose sharply to 10.72%year-on-year (YoY) in August 2026 from 7.51% in July, as households prepared for the new 2026/2027 academic session.
Nairametrics Research analysis of the inflation data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed that education services inflation increased by 3.21 percentage points in August.
The increase came even as Nigeria’s headline inflation rate eased marginally to 15.39% in August from 15.43% in July, indicating that education costs moved in the opposite direction to the broader inflation trend.
The increase also comes as the 2026/2027 academic session begins, with Lagos State setting September 14, 2026 as the resumption date for public and private primary and secondary schools.
The NBS data show that education services inflation accelerated sharply in August, rising by 3.21 percentage points from 7.51% in July to 10.72%.
The increase was recorded despite the broader moderation in inflation during the month, with headline inflation easing by 0.04 percentage points to 15.39%.
Nairametrics also reported that food inflation declined in August, falling to 19.57% from 20.31% in July, while headline inflation continued to moderate.
The increase in education services inflation comes as Nigerian households face another round of school-related expenses for the new academic session.
The timing is significant because Lagos began its 2026/2027 academic session on September 14, meaning parents have entered the period when tuition and other school-related payments are typically due.
The sharp increase in education services inflation contrasts with the broader moderation in Nigeria’s headline inflation rate.
This means that the moderation in headline inflation does not necessarily translate into lower education expenses for households entering a new school year.
Education costs have also been affected by proposed increases in examination fees.
Education services inflation accelerated even as overall inflation continued to moderate.
