Strategic Management of Music Schools in Lagos: Challenges and Best Practices

This study examines the strategic management practices of privately owned music schools in Lagos State, South West Nigeria, with a focus on identifying key challenges and replicable best practices for institutional sustainability. The proliferation of private music schools in Lagos over the past decade reflects a growing demand for instrumental training, music theory instruction, and performance coaching outside the formal tertiary system. However, many of these institutions face operational difficulties stemming from poor business planning, inadequate staffing, unstable revenue models, and weak marketing strategies. This research employs a qualitative case study methodology, drawing data from semi-structured interviews with directors, administrative staff, and senior instructors of 12 purposively selected music schools in Ikeja, Lekki, and Victoria Island. Secondary data are gathered from institutional records and recent small business management literature in the Nigerian arts sector. The study applies strategic management frameworks including SWOT analysis and stakeholder management theory to evaluate institutional approaches. Findings are expected to reveal that the most successful schools combine professional music instruction with diversified income streams such as event management, instrument rental, and online course delivery. Recommendations will provide a strategic management guide for music school proprietors and arts enterprise development practitioners. Keywords: Music school management, private music institutions, Lagos, strategic management, arts enterprise.