Publishers reject revised NERDC textbook fees, seek review of ranking policy

The Nigerian Publishers Association (NPA) has said the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council’s (NERDC) decision to reduce textbook assessment and ranking fees does not address its fundamental concerns over the proposed book ranking policy.

In a statement issued on Tuesday by its executive secretary, Rotimi Iyiola, the association said the reduction in fees merely acknowledged stakeholders’ concerns but failed to address what it described as the broader implications of ranking textbooks and its impact on the education sector.

The association, however, commended the Federal Ministry of Education for engaging with its leadership and clarifying that the policy would apply only to government textbook procurement and public schools, leaving private schools free to choose the books they use.

According to the NPA, its opposition has never been limited to the assessment fees but extends to the proposed book ranking policy, the increased financial burden on publishers, the likely rise in textbook prices for parents, and what it described as the exploitative nature of a two-layer quality assurance process.

The association urged the Federal Ministry of Education to reconsider the use of the term “ranking” and instead adopt a system that allows all textbooks meeting the required assessment standard to compete equally during the federal government’s book selection process.

It argued that such an approach would prevent publishers whose books receive higher rankings from gaining unfair commercial advantages in the wider market at the expense of other industry players. The association also called on the authorities to strengthen the existing quality assurance process to address identified gaps rather than introduce a ranking system.

While acknowledging the reduction in assessment fees, the NPA said the review remained inadequate, noting that the fee had initially increased from N500 per page to N2,000 per page, representing a 300 per cent increase. It argued that the revised fee of N1,500 per page, which still amounts to a 200 per cent increase, remained excessive.

The association restated its commitment to continued dialogue with the Federal Ministry of Education and relevant agencies, saying it would continue to advocate policies that promote quality education, encourage innovation, preserve fair competition, and ensure textbooks remain affordable and accessible to Nigerian learners.