NPA tackles NERDC, asks FG to jetisson 2026 Textbook Ranking Policy
By Godwin Okondo
A fresh dispute has emerged in Nigeria’s education sector as Nigerian Publishers Association (NPA) and Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) take opposing positions on the Federal Government’s proposed Textbook Ranking Policy for schooltexts, deepening concerns over its legal, procedural and economic implications. The controversy follows a public notice issued by the NERDC on April 27, 2026, announcing plans by the Federal Ministry of Education to introduce textbook ranking and selection for basic and secondary schools ahead of the 2026/2027 academic session.
In the notice signed by its Executive Secretary, Prof. Salisu Shehu, the council said the initiative is designed to streamline book approval processes, standardise textbook selection and regulate the market in a way that ensures learners have access to “relevant, accurate, affordable and available” materials.
The NERDC explained that a standing Book Ranking and Selection Committee has been constituted to oversee the exercise. The committee, it said, will receive textbooks already assessed and approved by the council and subject them to a further structured evaluation process guided by a defined ranking template.
According to the council, the exercise will be conducted under a framework intended to guarantee transparency, consistency and objectivity, with clear recommendations and justifications to accompany each decision. Final outcomes will be submitted to the Minister of Education for approval, after which a formal list of selected books will be communicated to state governments.
The notice added that the ranking process will take place in designated venues outside public interference and will be carried out periodically, at least once every three years or whenever a new curriculum is introduced, but before the commencement of each academic session. It also disclosed that a phased workflow plan has been developed to guide implementation, with timelines and submission procedures to be communicated to stakeholders.
However, the NPA has strongly rejected the policy, describing it as unconstitutional, non-transparent and potentially damaging to Nigeria’s book industry. In a statement issued on April 28, 2026 and signed by its Executive Secretary, Mr. Rotimi Iyiola, the association warned that the introduction of a ranking system represents policy overreach and could distort the established process of textbook development and approval.
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa
The publishers argued that textbooks are already subjected to rigorous vetting based on the national curriculum developed by the NERDC, noting that introducing an additional evaluation layer suggests a vote of no confidence in the council’s statutory mandate and long-standing processes.
They also questioned the transparency of the proposed system, pointing to the absence of publicly available evaluation criteria and the decision to conduct the ranking exercise away from public scrutiny. The concentration of final approval authority in the office of the minister, the association said, raises concerns about accountability and the potential for bias.
Beyond procedural issues, the NPA warned of significant economic consequences, noting that a centralised ranking framework could create a “winner-takes-all” market structure in which only a limited number of books dominate nationwide demand. Such an outcome, it said, could lead to reduced opportunities for publishers, job losses across printing and distribution chains, and declining investor confidence in the sector.
NPA warned that a centrally controlled ranking system may inadvertently create a winner-takes-all market dynamic, where only a limited number of approved books dominate nationwide demand, noting that the likely consequences include: Business contraction for non-selected publishers and booksellers. Job losses across printing, logistics, and retail segments. The association further stressed that the policy will reduced investor confidence, particularly among foreign investors in printing materials and publishing infrastructure and market distortion, where innovation is stifled due to restricted entry. In effect, teh association said a policy designed to improve quality may unintentionally shrink the industry that sustains educational content production.
The association further cautioned that the policy may stifle innovation and weaken academic diversity by limiting schools’ ability to choose from a wide range of instructional materials suited to their specific needs. It also raised constitutional concerns, stressing that education falls under the concurrent legislative list, which allows both federal and state governments to exercise authority, and warning that the policy risks encroaching on the powers of states.
Standardisation, when overly rigid, can undermine diversity: Schools will lose the flexibility to choose materials suited to their unique contexts, it said. The publishers association further noted that authors and publishers may be discouraged from developing new content if market access becomes uncertain and restrictive and intellectual plurality, making the cornerstone of education to be compromised. The ranking officials run the risk of being influenced, it said, as they remain the ultimate gateway for books to be approved, adding that a healthy textbook ecosystem thrives on competition, diversity, and continuous improvement, with over-centralisation risks replacing these with uniformity and stagnation.
While both the NERDC and the Federal Ministry of Education maintain that the initiative is aimed at improving quality and learning outcomes, the NPA insists that any reform must be inclusive, transparent and aligned with existing legal and institutional frameworks. With the absence of these, the association therefore called for the immediate jetissoning of the policy and a return to what it described as a proven and effective system anchored by the NERDC, urging broader stakeholder consultation to avoid unintended consequences.
The development underscores growing tensions between regulators and industry stakeholders over the direction of education reforms in Nigeria, with the outcome of the debate likely to shape the future of textbook production, distribution and usage in schools across the country.
