New Textbook Policy Obnoxious, Retrogressive, Publishers Insist

The Nigerian Publishers Association (NPA) on Wednesday restated its opposition to the Federal Ministry of Education’s proposed Textbook Ranking Policy, saying the policy is not only obnoxious but retrogressive.

Speaking to newsmen in Lagos, NPA President, Lukman Dauda, warned that the initiative could trigger book shortages, undermine competition, increase costs for publishers and raise constitutional concerns over the regulation of educational materials.

Dauda, said the association supports reforms aimed at improving educational standards but argued that the proposed ranking system threatens the sustainability of Nigeria’s publishing industry and could disrupt learning nationwide.

He asserted that the policy announced by the Federal Ministry of Education through the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC), seeks to standardise textbook selection and improve learning outcomes in schools.

The publishers contended that the ranking component of the policy could create an uneven playing field and concentrate opportunities in the hands of a few firms.

Dauda disclosed that during a stakeholders engagement held on June 2, NERDC informed publishers that implementation plans had already been concluded and would commence immediately.

According to him, publishers would be required to submit books for evaluation after paying prescribed fees, while books that score at least 70 per cent would proceed to a second stage involving ranking.

“The current system of textbook evaluation and assessment conducted by NERDC has, over the years, provided a transparent and objective process that offers a level playing field for all publishers. If weaknesses exist, such weaknesses should be corrected by strengthening the existing evaluation framework rather than replacing it with a ranking system,” he said.

The association argued that Nigeria’s educational landscape differs significantly from countries where similar ranking models have been adopted.

“With approximately 60 million students and more than 200 publishing firms actively participating in the educational publishing sector, how can a nation of this size and complexity seek to restrict approved textbooks to a handful of ranked titles under the guise of educational reform?” Dauda queried.

The publishers further warned that ranking textbooks could create a winner-takes-all environment, potentially pushing many legitimate businesses out of the market.

“A ranking system inevitably introduces subjectivity, secrecy, and the potential for bias. If only seven or ten publishers emerge as ranked publishers, what becomes of the remaining publishers who have invested heavily in educational publishing? Such a policy effectively creates a winner-takes-all publishing environment that could drive many legitimate businesses into extinction,” he stated.

Similarly, the NPA also expressed concern that the policy is being introduced at a time when publishers are still adapting to the implementation of the new national curriculum.

“Educational publishers are still struggling to align instructional materials with the new curriculum introduced barely seven months ago. The curriculum guidelines are still being rolled out by NERDC while the curricula for some subjects have not even been released,” Dauda said.

The association cautioned that the proposed implementation timeline could result in shortages of textbooks across the country.

“No single publisher, or even a small number of publishers, can adequately meet the textbook requirements of Nigerian schools within a whole academic session, not to talk of within two or three months,” he added.

The publishers further questioned whether the Federal Ministry of Education has the constitutional authority to impose a centralised textbook adoption system on states, noting that education falls under the Concurrent Legislative List.

The NPA accused the ministry and NERDC of commercialising the process through what it described as excessive assessment and ranking charges.

According to the association, publishers seeking to provide textbooks across all subjects could pay as much as N135.57 million in assessment and ranking fees.

“How will such charges bring down the cost of books and make same affordable to parents? We urge the Federal Ministry of Education to come out clean on the real intentions behind this unpopular experiment,” Dauda said.

The association maintained that rather than ranking textbooks, NERDC should continue evaluating books against established standards and publish a list of approved titles that meet curriculum requirements.

“Publishers whose books meet those standards should be approved without ranking them against one another,” he said.

The NPA reaffirmed its support for accountability, quality assurance and higher educational standards, even as it urged the Federal Government to reconsider the policy and engage stakeholders more broadly before implementation.

“It is not too late for the Federal Ministry of Education to reconsider this policy. Nigeria deserves education reform that is inclusive, transparent, practical and tailored to our unique national circumstances,” Dauda stated.