How To Start A Private School
Want to start a private school in Lagos? We set up everything for you — from CAC to Ministry approval.
ARFET helps you start, register, license and launch your new private school — from building, documentation, recruitment, portal, uniforms and marketing. One company handles the setup process.
Who We Serve
Our school setup and licensing support is designed for people and organizations that want to build a compliant, sustainable private-school operation.
- Individuals who want to start creche, nursery & primary school
- Churches/mosques wanting to start school
- Existing lesson centers wanting to upgrade to full private school
- Schools operating without approval — want to regularize & get licensed
- Investors buying existing school — need rebranding & relicensing
Our School Setup & Licensing Services — 8 Core Services
1. CAC Business Registration & Documentation
We register your school with Corporate Affairs Commission correctly for Ministry approval.
- Business Name registration for small school
- Limited Liability Company — Ltd/Gte — for big schools & future growth — recommended
- NGO/Association if needed
- Tax — TIN, VAT, SCUML advisory
- We advise best structure to avoid re-registration later
Deliverable: CAC Certificate, Status Report, TIN
2. Lagos State Ministry of Education Licensing & Approval
This is the main service. We guide you through the Lagos State process step-by-step to avoid rejection.
What we do:
- Advise on school name approval — Lagos State unique name search
- Guide on site — minimum land size, location, not in flood area, not near filling station, etc.
- Building requirement advisory — classrooms, toilets, office, sick bay, playground, fence, borehole as per Ministry standard
- Prepare required documents for file submission: application letter to DG/OEQA, CAC certificate, tax clearance, site/survey plan, building plan, tenancy/deed/C of O, health inspection, fire safety report, staff list/qualifications, NERDC-based curriculum, school policy manual, fee schedule, calendar, deed of undertaking and board documents.
- File submission to Ministry/OEQA district office — Ibeju Lekki / Epe
- Follow-up & inspection preparation — class size, ventilation, toilets, playground, sick bay, library
- Query handling — if Ministry queries the file, we help address it
- Approval letter collection — from provisional to full approval
3. School Building & Facility Setup Advisory
- Minimum facility checklist as per Lagos State standard — classroom size, 12ft x 24ft minimum, 40 pupils max per class, toilet ratio, sick bay, library, lab, playground, perimeter fence, borehole and waste disposal
- Classroom setup — furniture, board, ventilation, lighting
- Sick bay setup
- Library setup — minimum books
- Playground & safety
- Office & reception setup
- We work with your builder/architect — we give the standard, they build
4. Academic Setup & Curriculum
- NERDC curriculum — from creche to primary — all subjects
- Lesson plan templates — weekly & daily
- Scheme of work for all classes
- School timetable
- Academic calendar — Lagos State calendar
- Assessment policy — test, exam, grading system
- Report sheet design with your school logo
- Continuous assessment templates
- We set up an academic system that passes inspection
5. Staff Recruitment, Handbook & Training
- Recruitment of qualified staff — headteacher, teachers, creche, nursery, primary, admin, cleaners and security
- TRCN-registered teachers where required
- Staff handbook — code of conduct, duties, leave and salary structure
- Job descriptions
- Staff training before resumption — classroom management, lesson plan and school culture
- You get staff ready before the first pupil enters
6. School IT & Systems Setup — Day One Ready
- School portal — admission, fees, result — setup before resumption
- School website — professional — for admission inquiries
- Official emails — info@yourschoolname.com
- Admission form — online & offline
- Fee structure & invoicing system
- Result system — from first term
- CCTV, internet and computer setup advisory
- This links to your IT management retainer after launch
7. School Uniform, Branding & Learning Materials
- School logo design — if you don't have one
- Uniform production — creche, nursery, primary — full set: checkered, sport wear, cardigan, hijab, etc.
- School badges, berets, socks and bags
- Exercise books — custom with school name/logo
- Textbooks & learning materials sourcing — recommended publishers
- Signage — school signboard, classroom labels and direction boards
8. School Launch & Pupil Enrollment Marketing
Setup without pupils is useless. We help you get your first 30–100 pupils.
- School launch plan — 60 days before resumption
- Google My Business — your school appears on Google Maps when parents search for private schools near them
- Social media setup — Facebook, Instagram — 12 launch posts
- Flyer, banner, handbill design & printing
- Open Day / Free Assessment Day planning
- Admission campaign — WhatsApp, Facebook ads — target parents in Ajah to Epe
- Early bird discount strategy
How It Works — 4 Steps
Free Consultation & Site Assessment
You tell us your location, budget and level — creche only, nursery & primary, etc. We visit the site or you send a video. We assess whether the site meets Ministry minimums and give you a School Setup Checklist.
Documentation & CAC
We register CAC, prepare Ministry documents and work with your architect on building adjustments to meet the standard.
Facility, Staff & Academic Setup
You build/renovate as required. We recruit staff, set up the academic system, portal, website, uniform and books.
Licensing & Launch
We submit the file to Ministry/OEQA, prepare you for inspection, help with queries and guide you through the approval letter. Then we launch the admission campaign.
Choose Your Setup Package
Starter Package
For Small Creche/Nursery School
Excludes CAC fees, Ministry fees, building and furniture.
For those with limited budget, small site, who want to start small and grow.
- CAC Business Name registration advisory & processing
- Ministry name search & advisory
- School Setup Checklist — facility requirements
- List of required document templates
- One-time consultation
- File compilation guidance — you submit yourself
- Best for: DIY owners with low budget — we guide, you do
Standard Package
For serious owners who want full support till approval
Excludes CAC fees, Ministry fees, building, furniture, staff salaries, portal hosting and uniform cost.
- Everything in Starter plus Limited Company registration — Ltd
- Complete file preparation — application letter, policy manual, staff list, curriculum and required documents
- Building & facility advisory
- Staff recruitment — up to 6 teachers + admin
- Academic setup — curriculum, scheme, lesson plan, report sheet, timetable, calendar
- Portal & website setup — basic admission, result and 5-page website
- Staff handbook & one staff training before resumption
- Submission to Ministry/OEQA & follow-up — 3 times
- Inspection preparation checklist & mock inspection
- Query handling — 1 round
Premium Turnkey Package
Full school setup till first pupil
We set up everything until launch — you fund and approve.
- Everything in Standard
- Unlimited follow-up till provisional approval letter within 6 months
- Full IT setup — portal with fee & result, SEO website, official emails
- Uniform — first set samples; production at separate cost with discount
- Learning materials sourcing — books, toys for creche
- Branding — logo, signboard design, letterhead, ID card
- Marketing & launch — Google My Business, social media setup, 12 posts, flyer design, Open Day planning, admission campaign setup
- 3 months post-launch support — IT & recruitment retainer separate
- Dedicated WhatsApp group — daily update
- For investors & busy owners with no time to run around
Lagos State Ministry Requirements — Quick Overview
To get approval, the Ministry checks the following. We prepare you for the requirements and inspection process.
- CAC certificate — Business Name or Ltd
- Minimum land — usually 2 plots for Nursery & Primary; Ibeju Lekki may allow less for a starter depending on applicable requirements
- Classrooms — minimum 3 classrooms to start, well ventilated, 12ft x 24ft
- Toilets — separate for pupils & staff; ratio — 1 toilet to 20 pupils; borehole/toilet provision
- Office, sick bay with first aid, library corner, playground, perimeter fence and waste disposal
- Qualified headteacher — NCE minimum + experience; teachers — NCE/TRCN where required
- Health & fire safety clearance
- Survey, building plan, tenancy/C of O
- Curriculum, policy and related documents
SECTION 8: WHY CHOOSE ARFET FOR SCHOOL SETUP
- One-stop: CAC, licensing, recruitment, portal, website, uniform and marketing.
- We also run school IT & recruitment — setup links to long-term support after approval.
- We tell the truth: we don't promise approval in 2 weeks. We explain the real process and prepare you to pass.
- Affordable: pay in phases — 40% to start documentation, 30% after file submission, 30% after inspection.
- Post-setup support: after launch, we become your IT & recruitment partner on a retainer.
FAQ
How long does it take to get approval?
CAC — 1–2 weeks. Building setup depends on you — about 2–3 months. Ministry file processing and inspection after submission — about 1–3 months depending on the OEQA queue. Total — 3–6 months if you start building immediately and the site meets the applicable standard.
Do you guarantee approval?
No one can guarantee government approval — we are not the Ministry. We prepare your file and facility to meet the Lagos State standard checklist, help increase your readiness and handle queries professionally. Approval is issued by the Ministry after inspection.
Can I start school without approval?
Many operators start as lesson centres/daycare while processing approval, but operating a full nursery & primary school without approval can expose the school to regulatory enforcement. We advise you on the applicable process and a safer route to regularization.
How much capital do I need to start a small creche/nursery?
Your location matters and several factors need to be considered, so we can't give you a reliable estimate except during consultation. We give a detailed budget after site assessment. It depends on location and the required standard.
Can you help a school already operating without approval to regularize?
Yes. This is called regularization. We audit your facility against the applicable standard, list gaps such as toilets and sick bay, prepare the file and support the submission process.
Do you also help buy land/building for school?
We don't sell land, but we can assess a site you want to buy or rent — including access and suitability considerations — before you commit.
You Have the Vision to Own a School. We Have the Process to License It.
Don't waste money building the wrong structure that the Ministry may reject. Get the checklist first, then start right.
After your school is licensed, ARFET continues as your partner: School IT Consulting & Management — Portal, Website, CBT | Staff Recruitment & Training | Uniform Production | Student Marketing & Admission | Tutorial Academy.