Why British boarding schools are so eager to open in Nigeria

For many years, well-off Nigerians have sent their children to prestigious British boarding schools – but now some of those institutions are setting up campuses in Africa’s most populous nation.

Last year, Charterhouse launched a primary school in the city of Lagos and will open a secondary school this September.

Rugby School will also begin offering secondary education in September. Other well-known institutions, such as Millfield, Wellington School and Harrow, are also exploring opportunities in Nigeria.

This obviously all comes with a price tag for Nigerian parents – but the country’s well-heeled elite have historically sent their children to the UK for secondary education, drawn to the British curriculum’s rigour, prestige and global opportunities.

“I’m actually excited about it,” says Karima Oyede, a British-Nigerian management consultant, whose son is currently in…