Publishers kick against N2,000 page charge, textbook ranking system

A fresh controversy is brewing in the education sector as the Nigerian Publishers Association (NPA) push back against the proposed N2,000 per-page charge and planned textbook ranking system.

The publishers faulted the Federal Ministry of Education over a proposed policy to introduce ranking of educational textbooks, warning that it could destabilise the publishing industry and create a “winner-takes-all” system.

Lukman Dauda, the NPA national president, said the association had already opposed the policy in a statement issued on April 28, 2026, calling for its immediate withdrawal.

Dauda emphasised that the proposed ranking system, introduced through the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC), would distort fair competition in the education sector and undermine existing evaluation processes.

“The current textbook assessment framework already provides a transparent and objective system that ensures a level playing field for publishers, and rather than introducing ranking, government should strengthen the existing mechanism,” he said.

He warned that implementing such a policy in Nigeria, with over 60 million learners and more than 200 publishing houses, would be impractical and disruptive.

Besides, Dauda said that publishers were still adjusting to a recently introduced curriculum, adding that the absence of a proper transition period had already placed pressure on the sector.

Moreover, the NPA criticised what it described as the financial burden of the new policy, alleging that the combined cost of assessment and ranking would amount to about N135.57 million for a publisher covering all subjects across basic and senior secondary levels.

The association claimed that such charges contradict the government’s stated goal of making educational materials more affordable, warning that the policy could increase the cost of textbooks and reduce access for students.

Consequently, the association warned that such policies could stifle investment in educational publishing, raise production costs, and negatively affect the availability of affordable textbooks for students and schools.

The publishers reiterated that an increase in textbook assessment fees from N300 per page to N2,000 per page, which they described as excessive and capable of making books unaffordable for pupils and students. It further urged the ministry of education to clarify the rationale behind the reforms and ensure transparency in the implementation process. The association called on policymakers, school operators, parents, and stakeholders to resist any policy that could negatively impact the availability and affordability of educational materials in the country.

The NPA also maintained that publishers have continued to absorb rising production costs in order to keep textbooks affordable, stressing that the real cost pressures often arise within distribution channels rather than at the publishing stage.

It urged the federal government to reconsider the proposed policy in the interest of access to quality education for Nigerian children.