Benin City, Nigeria – Private school owners in Edo State staged a peaceful protest on Friday, decrying what they call an "outrageous" increase in income taxes imposed by the state government.
The Coalition of Associations of Private Schools (CAPS), which includes the Association of Private School Owners of Nigeria (APSON), the Association for Formidable Education Development (AFED), the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), and the Association of Model Islamic Schools, gathered at the Ministry of Education to voice their concerns.
The protesters claim the tax rates on school proprietors have increased by 200 to 4,000 percent, which they say is punitive and detrimental to the education sector. Coalition chairman, Dr. Ohis-Olakhe Emmanuel, stated that dialogue attempts had failed, leaving them with no option but to protest. He also warned that over 300,000 teachers and numerous vendors risk losing their jobs due to the increase.
The school owners are criticizing the state’s new tax policy, which calculates tax based on an estimated N30,000 to N35,000 per student, regardless of what the school actually charges. They argue that taxes should be assessed on profit, not gross income.
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Dr. Austin Igbasan, Secretary of the coalition, cautioned that the new tax regime could lead to school closures, job losses, and a rise in out-of-school children.
Mr. Oladele Ogundele, Secretary of AFED, called for a unified tax system and complained about multiple layers of taxation from various government agencies.
Edo State Commissioner for Education, Mr. Paddy Iyamu, addressed the protesters and assured them that the government would review their concerns and is committed to creating a conducive environment for businesses, including private schools. He promised to meet with the state’s internal revenue service to address the contentious issues. Iyamu also urged schools not meeting regulatory standards to take corrective measures.