The start of a new term or semester always brings excitement and stress. Whether you’re a parent prepping your kids for school or an older student heading back to university, having the right supplies can make all the difference.
To help you stay organized and avoid last-minute rush, here’s a checklist to get you ready for the new academic year.
1. Basics for Every Backpack
Notebooks and Binders:
Price: ₦6,500. Where to Buy: Shop Mumzcentral.
This A5-sized notebook is perfect for keeping your notes in order whether you're at the office, in class, or on the go. It features 192 premium, white-colored lined pages with a smooth 80g/m² texture, ensuring a comfortable writing experience.
The notebook includes a built-in elastic closure and a matching ribbon page marker, helping you stay organized and efficient. The expandable inner pocket is ideal for storing loose notes, business cards, or other small essentials, so you never misplace important information.
With its soft, black-striped cover and compact design, this notebook is as stylish as it is portable. Its lay-flat binding offers ease of use, making it a dependable choice for everyday tasks.
Pens and Pencils:
Price: ₦7,605. Where to Buy: Shop Mumzcentral
The BIC Matic Original 0.7mm Mechanical Pencil is a reliable and efficient tool for all your writing, revising, and editing needs. Equipped with HB leads that stay sharp and crisp, it’s perfect for revising documents, jotting down ideas, or tackling homework and classwork with precision.
Each pencil in this convenient 5-pack includes three 9 cm HB leads that deliver smooth and consistent writing, ensuring standout work every time. The easy-click mechanism means you’ll never need to sharpen, while the built-in eraser lets you make quick edits or clean corrections without smudging.
Designed for practicality and style, the pencils feature a clear barrel with brightly colored clips, making them easy to attach to your notebook or bag. Lightweight and portable, they’re ideal for use at home, in class, or on the go. Offering excellent value for money, the BIC Matic Original mechanical pencils are a smart and stylish addition to your stationery collection.
Water Bottle
Price: ₦7,605. Where to Buy: Shop Mumzcentral
The Mx Studi Matra Bottle in black is the perfect blend of style and functionality, designed for those who are always on the move. With its sipper feed style, this bottle ensures a smooth drinking experience whether you’re working, exercising, or commuting.
Made from BPA-free materials, this reusable bottle offers a safe and eco-friendly alternative to single-use plastic. The attachable strap makes it easy to carry wherever you go, while the rubber exterior provides scratch protection to keep your bottle looking sleek.
With just one unit left in stock, the Mx Studi Matra Bottle combines practicality and durability, making it an essential accessory for anyone seeking a convenient, stylish, and sustainable hydration solution.
This cool, water bottle is designed with practicality and durability in mind, making it perfect for school, work, or days on the go. Crafted to withstand everyday wear and tear, it ensures long-lasting use while maintaining a lightweight and easy-to-carry design.
The bottle keeps your drinks cool, so you can stay hydrated wherever life takes you. Its compact dimensions (22 cm height x 6 cm length) make it the ideal fit for backpacks, gym bags, or car cup holders. Whether you're packing it for a day at school or a busy schedule on the move, this water bottle is a reliable companion for staying refreshed and ready to tackle the day.
Price: ₦10,665 Where to Buy: Shop Mumzcentral.
2. Tech Essentials
Laptop or Tablet:
When it comes to staying productive, connected, and entertained, having the right device can make all the difference. Whether you're a student heading back to school, a professional working from home, or someone who simply loves staying on top of the latest tech trends, laptops and tablets offer versatility and convenience for every need.
Price: ₦650,700 (from ₦870,900) Where to Buy: Shop Jumia.
With its powerful Intel Core i5 processor, 16GB of RAM, and a sleek touchscreen display, the HP EliteBook 840 G6 has you covered for both work and play. As my personal laptop, I can vouch for its versatility—the touchscreen is particularly handy when I want to quickly scroll or annotate without using the keyboard. It comes pre-installed with Windows 11 Pro, so it's ready to go right out of the box.
Price: ₦ 188,960. Where to Buy: ShopJumia
This sleek and powerful tablet is perfect for streaming, reading, or gaming, with its TÜV Rheinland-certified Low Blue Light and Flicker-Free display designed to reduce eye strain. It offers two unique reading modes: Paper Reading Mode, which mimics a physical book, and Classic Mode, for a more traditional digital experience.
Beyond visuals, the dual stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos® create an immersive soundscape, making every movie or playlist more engaging. Powered by an octa-core MediaTek Helio G85 processor and a 6,650mAh battery, the Redmi Pad SE 8.7 ensures smooth multitasking and long-lasting entertainment for up to 25 hours of video playback.
Headphones
Whether you’re commuting, working out, or simply enjoying your favorite tunes at home, these headphones offer the freedom to move and multitask with ease. With features like noise cancellation, long-lasting battery life, and high-quality sound, wireless headphones are designed to deliver both comfort and performance.
Price: ₦139,500. Where to Buy: Shop Konga
For those who want affordable quality, the Soundcore Space A40 delivers solid performance. With up to 10 hours of playback on a single charge and a total of 50 hours with the case, it’s great for long use. Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and water resistance (IPX4) make it ideal for city life and workouts. Despite its affordable price, the companion app offers a customizable sound profile, and though its ANC is basic, it’s still a reliable choice.
You can use each earbud individually, the active noise cancellation (ANC) works effectively, and the microphones deliver clear phone calls. These earbuds have an IPX4 water-resistance rating, so they’re protected from a some rain or sweat.
If you’re looking for noise-cancelling headphones that have both style and performance, look no further than the Sony WH-CH720N Wireless Blue. As Sony’s lightest wireless noise-cancelling headband to date, it offers comfort that is great for long listening sessions or binge-watching your favourite shows. It is powered by the Integrated Processor V1 which takes noise-cancelling to a higher level, letting you fully deep dive in music or entertainment.
With a 35-hour battery life and quick-charge capability (just 3 minutes of charge delivers an hour of playback). Additional features include crystal-clear hands-free calling, voice assistant compatibility, and the ability to switch seamlessly between two devices with its multipoint connection. Price: ₦139,999. Where To Buy: Shop Jamara Home.
Power Bank:
A power bank is one of those life-savers you didn’t know you needed until you’re caught with a dead phone and no outlet in sight. Whether you’re running between meetings, traveling, or just out for the day, it’s the portable little hero that keeps your devices charged and ready to go. With a compact design and enough power to give your phone a quick boost, you’ll never have to worry about running out of battery.
With optimised charging for a variety of devices, the New Age FC50P 50000 PD Power Bank provides three weeks' worth of power for USB-C devices. With its four-fold protection technology, it is safeguarded against overload, overheating, and short circuits. Charging your phone with the two-way Type-C port takes little more than three hours, which is twice as quick as a regular power bank.
Additionally, the power bank has a 22.5W high-speed charging feature that helps users quickly charge USB-C phones, tablets, and laptops.
Price: ₦59,999. Where To Buy: Shop Jumia.
3. Personal Care and Comfort
Hand Sanitizer and Wipes
Hand sanitizer provides an instant, no-water-needed clean, while the wipes are perfect for wiping down surfaces or giving your hands a thorough, refreshing cleanse. Compact and convenient, they’re a must-have in your bag, car, or desk drawer, ensuring you can keep germs at bay wherever life takes you. Trust us, you’ll be glad to have them when you need them!
Lunchboxes
With compartments to separate your meals, leak-proof lids to prevent spills, and durable designs that can handle daily use, these lunch boxes offer both convenience and style. Plus, they’re often eco-friendly, helping you reduce waste while keeping your food safe and tasty.
Price: ₦6,500. Where To Buy: Shop Skit.
The 1000ml 2-in-1 Lunch Box is the perfect companion for your lunch break, whether you're at the office, school, or on the go. This practical set includes everything you need, with a built-in cutlery set for added convenience. Each container is equipped with a handy clasp, ensuring that your food stays securely packed and mess-free.
The Mx Stainless Steel Lunch Box (1100ML + 150ML) is your all-in-one solution for enjoying meals on the go. With TempShield™ double-walled vacuum insulation, it keeps cold foods chilled and hot foods piping hot, making it perfect for everything from hearty soups to refreshing fruit salads.
Crafted from durable 18/8 Pro-Grade Stainless Steel, this lunch box is built to last while remaining BPA-free and phthalate-free for your peace of mind. The soft-grip lid is easy to open, and the secure design ensures a mess-free experience wherever you go.
Compact yet spacious, it’s just the right size for kids’ lunches, snacks, or office meals, and it fits neatly into a backpack or purse.
Price: ₦16,200. Where To Buy: Shop Skit.
4. Extras to Stay Ahead
Study Aids: Highlighters, sticky notes—small tools that make a big difference.
Emergency Kit: Include a small pouch with essentials like pain relievers, band-aids, and a spare charger.
Before you shop, take stock of what you already have at home. Many supplies from last year can be reused. For what you do need to buy, look out for sales or consider second-hand options for bigger-ticket items like laptops or textbooks.
Starting a new school term is all about preparation, but it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Use this checklist to cover the essentials, and you’ll set yourself—or your kids—up for success.