How to Start a Successful Driving School Business in Nigeria, Driving school license requirements

One way or the other everyone needs to learn how to drive, this creates the business opportunity for opening up a driving school. You’ll just need to be aware of some of your state’s requirements, who is currently providing driver education services in your area, and then – finally – how to get the word out about your driving school.

Once you get up and running and position your business properly for your area, your success is almost inevitable.

Costs for Opening a Driving School

The startup costs for a driving school business depend on the level and the area of the business, starting a driving school in big cities in Lagos or Abuja will need a higher capital of about 10 to 20 million naira as you need clean cars in other to attract visibilities within people living in that area.
Opening a Driving school in undeveloped cities you can start with old cars and a little capital ranging from 500 to 1 million naira with this little capital you can start with one or two vehicles, then create different times for your students, then you can buy more cars as you make a profit and get more students.

This start-up capital includes certification, website design facility rental possibly the purchase of more vehicles, Many driving schools subcontract for instructors, and the revenue split runs between 60 to 75 per cent for the instructors and 25 to 40 per cent for the school. You should get a dual-control car – one that has a brake on the passenger side – or have an existing car retrofitted.

How to Set Your Prices

The price that you charge students for your driving school is influenced by the type of school, the services you provide and your location, your staff/instructors, and fuel price at that time. Once you get to this point, you are well on your way to success.

Develop Your Driving School’s Curriculum

Whether you are only teaching driving theory or are providing both theory and behind-the-wheel lessons, develop a plan for what you are going to teach. Consider teaming up with an existing school, as it can provide you with up-to-date instructional material and sample exams. For your behind-the-wheel lessons, identify local routes that provide incremental difficulty for your students while allowing them to experience different road conditions.

Driving school license requirements

The licensing requirements to open a driving school business vary among states. Typically, you apply through the Federal Road Safety Corps, where you obtain and submit the Application for Driver’s School License form along with an application fee.

Driving School Certification

Certification is the final process in the chain of procedures for establishing a driving school in Nigeria. Driving schools are assessed to ascertain the quality of facilities and trainers deployed for driver education and training.

The assessment provides for the different levels of certification, after which driving schools can officially engage in driver education and training activities. A driving school that compromises the minimum uniform standards set by FRSC shall have its certification suspended or withdrawn.

Upon inspection, proposed/existing driving schools that meet the minimum standards will have their forms sent through the Zonal Commanding Officers of the various FRSC Zonal Commands to Road Safety Headquarters (RSHQ) Abuja for possible approval and certification.

A certificate of operation will be issued by the Federal Road Safety Corps after the assessment, proprietors interactive forum, and instructors’ training programme, in addition to meeting the minimum technical and Safety Standards.

Sanctions, like Suspension, withdrawal of certificates and closure of driving schools shall be meted out on proprietors who do not conform to the required standards.

Any proprietor who fails to be duly registered shall be prosecuted in accordance with FRSC Act, 2007 and NRTR 2004.

Requirements for Setup of Driving School

Intending proprietors will fulfil the following minimum Technical requirements before they can be licensed to operate driving schools.

• Compulsory Requirements
• CAC Certificate of Incorporation
• Classroom/Administrative office
• Roadworthy vehicle(s) for driving instructions (dual control)
• Licensed Driving Instructor(s)
• Course Manual
• Highway Code
• Traffic Laws/Regulations Handbook
• First-aid Facilities
• Fire Extinguisher
• Open-space Driving Range
• Computer/Mobile device with Internet capabilities

Other Requirements

• Simulator/Mock Vehicle
• Road Signs Models
• Vision Acuity Test Facilities
• Library
• Inspection Pit/Workshop
• Television and CD Player
• Overhead Projector
• Magnetic Board
• Safety Tips Handbook

Procedures for Establishing Driving Schools

• The intending proprietor visits the nearest FRSC office
• Obtain a registration form TSC 0001a from the training officer after getting the minimum technical requirements
• TSC 0001a is completed by the proprietor and returned to the FRSC office
• Training officer/ state committee on DSSP carries out preliminary inspection of driving school at an agreed date, with the proprietor in attendance.
• A report of preliminary inspection signed by the sector commander is forwarded through the supervisory FRSC zonal office to the training department in FRSC national headquarters
• The training department in the FRSC headquarters profiles the name of the proposed driving school for further inspection and assessment exercise
• The report of the assessment is analysed by the training department
• The Head of the training department makes recommendations to the corp marshal for approval if the assessment result is good.
• The Corps marshal’s approval leads to certification of the proposed driving school.
• The certification report is made known to those who have applied and qualified.
• Driving school commence operations legally.

Uniform Curriculum for Driving Schools

• The Driver Education Curriculum is carefully designed to cover twenty-one (21) modules to take care of the following driver education courses.
• i. Basic Learner Driver Course (3 months)
• ii. Proficiency Drivers Course (2 months)
• iii. Executive Drivers Course (1 month)
• iv. Specialised Driver Course (1 month)

Driving School instructors / Operators are to strictly adhere to the contents of the Driver Education Curriculum, to bring about uniform training for all categories of Drivers. The curriculum covers the following modules,

1. Classroom Training in Driving
2. Driver Orientation and Preparation
3. The Art of Driving
4. Licensing of Vehicles and Drivers
5. Basic Vehicle Mechanisms
6. Basic Vehicle Maintenance
7. Safe Driving and Road Traffic Laws
8. Client / Customer care in driving
9. Basic First Aids & Cardio-pulmonary resuscitation
10. Road Traffic Crashes (RTC)
    Causes, Effects and Prevention
11. Tyres and Safety
12. Executive Protection Driving Techniques
13. Defensive Driving Techniques (DDT)
14. Effect of Alcohol and Drugs on Driving
15. Sharing the Road with Other Users
16. Automobile Fire Prevention
17. Safety Guidelines for Special Driving Conditions
18. Road Signs and Markings
19. Tricycles, Motorcycle riding and Mechanisms
20. Driving articulated Vehicles (Tankers / Trailers)
21. Earthmoving Vehicles

Instructor’s Training

For uniformity and standardization of training, all instructors are to undergo training and certification through the Federal Road Safety Commission before they are allowed to train the drivers in their various driving schools. Registration/licencing is renewable annually at a stipulated fee.

Assessment/Grading of Driving Schools

After Inspection and assessment of the driving school, they are classified depending on the facilities they have as follows:

Certification Level	Grade	Score Range
Full Certification	A	90%-100%
Certification	B	80%-89%
Certification	C	70%-79%
Provisional Certification	D	60%-69%
Provisional Certification	E	50%-59%
Not Certified	F	Below 50%