As resumption for the 2017/2018 session edges close for many schools, parents have complained about the high cost of school items. Many parents who spoke in Lagos on Saturday, said that school items were now even more expensive than school fees.

A parent, Mr Benedict Chukwuwinke, a businessman, said that the costs of stationery and textbooks were quite high. Traders have however said that there was no form of exploitation and that the profit margin on books was quite minimal.

Mrs Olabisi Aina of Favour Bookshop, Oshodi said that they were into the business to keep body and soul together, and that there was not much profit made in it.

Another parent, Mr Wale Olufela, who is a civil servant, said that even though school fees from previous session remained the same, the cost of writing materials, school bags and shoes had gone up.

“We learnt that Nigeria is out of recession but it is yet to reflect on the cost of living because things are still expensive,” he said.

A dealer in lunch bags, Mrs Mary Andrew, said that only few parents were buying new bags while most were simply coming to repair old ones. She said that the situation was critical as the new bags that were made were not getting patronised.