Publishers Oppose FG’s Proposed Textbook Ranking Policy

The Nigerian Publishers Association (NPA) has kicked against the Federal Government’s plan to introduce a textbook ranking system for schools, describing it as a policy overreach with potential negative consequences for the education sector.

The proposed policy, announced by the Federal Ministry of Education and expected to take effect from the 2026/2027 academic session, aims to standardise textbook selection in basic and secondary schools. However, the NPA argued that the initiative could undermine existing regulatory structures.

Reacting to the development, the association’s Executive Secretary, Rotimi Iyiola, said textbooks are not creative works that should be ranked competitively, but structured academic materials developed strictly in line with national curricula.

According to him, such materials already undergo rigorous vetting and approval by the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC), the statutory body responsible for curriculum development and instructional standards.

“The idea that textbooks can be ranked like creative works is fundamentally flawed,” the association said, warning that introducing an external ranking mechanism could weaken the established quality assurance framework.

The group also questioned the decision to set up a separate committee outside the NERDC to oversee the ranking process, describing it as a vote of no confidence in the council’s mandate.

Beyond institutional concerns, the publishers raised constitutional issues, noting that education falls under the concurrent legislative list, allowing both federal and state governments to play roles in its administration.

They warned that centralising textbook selection at the federal level could encroach on the authority of states and disrupt the balance of Nigeria’s federal system.

The NPA further expressed concern over the lack of transparency in the proposed policy, including unclear criteria for ranking textbooks and the process for selecting committee members.

It also criticised the exclusion of key stakeholders—particularly publishers—from the policy formulation process, stressing that the industry plays a critical role in the education value chain.

On the economic implications, the association warned that the policy could distort the publishing market by favouring a limited number of textbooks, potentially leading to reduced competition, job losses, and diminished innovation in educational content development.

While reaffirming its support for efforts to improve education quality, the NPA urged the Federal Government to reconsider the policy and retain the existing NERDC-led framework, which it described as more inclusive and sustainable.