Quick answer: What does a bilingual school in Lagos actually offer? English is the medium of instruction across Lagos, so bilingual here usually means a serious second language rather than split delivery. French is the most common, Yoruba is taught at most reputable schools, and a few campuses add Mandarin or German. Fees run roughly NGN 3 million to 15 million a year.
Last reviewed: September 2026 by Emma from ISA. Fee ranges are indicative; always confirm with the school.
The word bilingual travels badly. In Brussels or Barcelona it describes a school that teaches half its timetable in each of two languages. In Lagos it almost never means that, and families who arrive expecting the European model spend their first term confused.
English is Nigeria's official language and the medium of instruction in every school a relocating family is likely to consider. So bilingual schools in Lagos are really schools with a substantial second language programme layered onto an English curriculum. The question is not whether your child will be taught in two languages. It is which second language the school takes seriously, and how seriously.
Which second languages Lagos schools actually teach
Three languages dominate, and they serve very different purposes.
French comes first. Nigeria is surrounded by francophone neighbours, and French has long held a semi official status in national policy, so most established private schools in Lagos run French from primary through to IGCSE level. The quality varies enormously, from a genuine communicative programme with native speaking staff to a twice weekly vocabulary lesson.
Yoruba is the language of Lagos itself and is taught at most reputable schools, partly by curriculum requirement and partly because families want it. For a child who will spend several years in the city, this is the language that changes how they experience daily life. Mandarin and German appear at a handful of campuses, usually driven by a specific partnership rather than local demand.
Where bilingual provision is strongest
The geography of Lagos schooling is straightforward once you understand the lagoon. The Lekki and Victoria Island corridor holds the highest concentration of internationally minded schools and the largest expatriate community. Ikoyi sits between the two and carries some of the oldest and most established names.
On the mainland, Ikeja and the Government Reserved Area offer strong schools at lower fees and considerably lower housing costs, with the significant caveat of crossing the bridges. Families who work on the island and school on the mainland generally regret it within a term.
The practical point for language provision is that the island schools tend to have the budget for native speaking French staff, while mainland schools more often rely on Nigerian teachers of French. Neither is automatically better, but the outcomes differ and you should ask to observe a lesson.
What to look for in a language programme
- Contact hours, and whether French appears three times a week or once
- Streaming, so that a child arriving with fluent French is not parked in a beginner class
- Examination pathway, whether the school enters students for IGCSE French or the DELF
- Native speaking staff, and how long they have been at the school
- Yoruba provision beyond the compulsory minimum, which tells you whether the school treats it as a real subject
- Continuity from primary to secondary, which is where most language programmes quietly break down
Five Lagos schools to look at
Lekki British School
A British curriculum campus in the Lekki corridor, well placed for families settling on the island. Ask specifically how French is streamed in the secondary years, which is where the differences between Lagos schools show most clearly. See the Lekki British School profile on International School Advisor.
Grange School
One of the older established names in Lagos, in Ikeja on the mainland. Worth considering if your work is mainland based and you want a settled institution rather than a newer campus. See the Grange School profile on International School Advisor.
The Riverbank School
A primary focused setting with a strong local reputation. Useful to visit if you are arriving with younger children and want to see how language teaching is handled before secondary specialisation kicks in. See the The Riverbank School profile on International School Advisor.
St Saviours School
Long established in Ikoyi with a mixed Nigerian and international parent body, which is often what families are actually looking for when they say they want an international environment. See the St Saviours School profile on International School Advisor.
Lead Forte Gate Schools
A Nigerian group offering both local and international pathways. Confirm which pathway the language provision attaches to, because it is not always identical across the two. See the Lead Forte Gate Schools profile on International School Advisor.
Fees in 2026, and why naira quotes move
Lagos fees need a currency caveat before any numbers. The Central Bank of Nigeria floated the naira in June 2023, and the exchange rate has been volatile since. Schools responded in different ways. Some now review fees each term, some index a portion to the dollar, and a few quote foreign currency outright for expatriate families. Ask which of these applies before you compare two schools on headline price.
With that said, annual tuition in naira runs roughly as follows at the schools a relocating family would consider. Primary sits around NGN 3 million to 8 million. Secondary runs roughly NGN 5 million to 15 million, with the best resourced island campuses at the top of that band. Mainland schools of comparable quality typically sit 30 to 40 per cent below island equivalents.
- Application and assessment fee, usually not refundable
- Development or capital levy, charged on entry at many Lagos schools and often substantial
- Bus, priced by route and worth pricing carefully given traffic
- Uniform, books and devices, frequently billed separately each year
- Examination entry fees for IGCSE and A Level, often quoted in pounds or dollars
- Mid year fee reviews, which several schools introduced after the float
Practical advice for relocating families
Decide which side of the lagoon you live on before you choose a school. Lagos traffic is not a joke you get used to. A school that is nine kilometres away can be ninety minutes each way in term time. Pick the island or the mainland, then shortlist within it.
Ask what happens to the French programme at Year 9. Language teaching in Lagos is generally strong in primary and thins out when examination subjects compete for timetable space. The schools worth paying for are the ones that protect it. Ask how many students sat IGCSE French last year and what they scored.
Budget for the levies, not just the tuition. Development levies, bus, uniform and examination entry can add 25 to 40 per cent to the headline figure at a Lagos school. Ask for a full first year invoice from a current family rather than the fee page on the website.
Compare Lagos schools side by side
To see how these campuses sit against the rest of the city before you shortlist, browse the best international schools in Lagos.
More guides to schools in Lagos
- How to choose an international school in Lagos
- International school fees in Lagos
- Private school admissions in Lagos
- browse the best international schools in Lagos
Frequently asked questions
Are there truly bilingual schools in Lagos, taught half in French?
Very few, and they are specialist French system schools rather than international schools with a French stream. For most families the realistic option is an English medium school with a strong French programme. If genuine dual language delivery is essential to you, look specifically at French system provision rather than the mainstream international market.
Will my child learn Yoruba at an international school in Lagos?
Usually yes, at least at primary level, since Nigerian curriculum requirements include a local language. How much they retain depends on whether the school treats it as a real subject with assessment, or as a cultural add on. Ask to see the Yoruba scheme of work, not just the timetable.
Why do Lagos schools keep changing their fees?
Because the naira was floated in June 2023 and has been volatile since. Schools with dollar denominated costs, such as imported resources and expatriate salaries, have moved to termly reviews or partial dollar indexation. Ask each school in writing how and when it reviews fees before you commit.