Publishers decry FG’s textbooks ranking policy, fears distortion of standards

The Nigerian Publishers Association (NPA) has decried the move by the Federal Ministry of Education to introduce ranking for classroom textbooks for basic and secondary schools, effective the 2026/2027 academic session.

Besides, the Ministry of Education announced that the policy will be implemented by a handpicked committee other than the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC).

Rotimi Iyiola, executive secretary at NPA, in a statement sighted by BusinessDay, emphasised that on the surface, the policy is purportedly designed as an attempt to standardise textbook selection and improve learning outcomes across Nigeria with the intention to ensure that learners have access to accurate, relevant, and affordable educational materials.

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But on a critical review of the policy’s constitutionality, process deficits, and the economic implications for Nigeria’s book ecosystem, the NPA insisted that it is a policy overreach that will distort rather than ensure standards or quality in Nigeria’s education system.

“The obvious errors of this policy, as set out below, make it an anomaly that must not be allowed to stand.

“We seek immediate jettisoning of this policy that we deem obnoxious and detrimental to the Nigerian educational system,” the statement read.

Besides, the association stated that textbooks are not necessarily creative works in the arts and culture sector that can be subjected to adjudication and ranking procedures to ascertain which is the best among the rest, with a view to awarding a prize, as there are already set metrics for such qualitative and quantitative evaluations.

“Textbooks, the bedrock of education, cannot be subjected to such a whimsical process. Textbooks are products of scientific processes carefully and strictly derived from the curriculum that is designed by the NERDC.

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“Also, after textbooks have been published, they are returned to the NERDC for vetting to ensure that they conform to the Council’s curriculum guidelines. Whatever gaps that are noticed are referred back to the publisher for amendment before being given the green light for final publishing,” NPA said.

In addition, the association said, “For the Federal Ministry of Education to seek to set up another evaluation committee to reevaluate books already vetted for publishing by the NERDC, a body established by an Act of Parliament and saddled with the responsibility of developing curricula and assessing, through a rigorous and transparent process, the quality of instructional materials to be used in the nation’s basic to secondary schools smacks of a motive other than what it announced.”

Moreover, NPA noted that the newly announced textbook ranking policy seems an obvious vote of “No confidence” in NERDC’s curriculum guidelines and rigorous process of vetting books for Nigerian schools.

“So, it is either NERDC does not believe in its own guidelines to have succumbed to being part of this policy or an ulterior motive is being smuggled into its otherwise transparent process that has served Nigeria’s education since the council was set up to oversee textbooks that enter into the school system,” it emphasised.

Considering all of the above, the association reiterated that it is strongly averse to the newfangled textbooks ranking policy that is at variance with standard procedures the world over.

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“This textbook ranking policy is akin to reinventing the wheel to crash a perfectly working machine. The NPA, a major stakeholder in Nigeria’s book ecosystem, cannot lend support to this obviously ill-advised policy,” NPA insisted.

Hence, it advocates an immediate jettisoning of the policy before it leaves the planning table, while insisting that public policy must not only meet a higher threshold than good intentions; it must also align with constitutional provisions, respect institutional boundaries, reflect procedural fairness, and safeguard economic stability.

The association noted that education and the question of federal overreach under the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, falls within the concurrent legislative list.

“The implication is straightforward: State Ministries of Education possess constitutional rights to determine and review instructional materials within their jurisdictions.

Federal involvement is expected to be coordinative and advisory, not prescriptive or monopolistic, as this policy aims to do, which is a constitutional breach,” it stated.

Consequently, the NPA calls for policy recalibration, while insisting that the pursuit of quality education is non-negotiable and that quality cannot be achieved through centralisation that sidelines constitutional principles, excludes stakeholders, and destabilises an entire industry.

“The Federal Ministry of Education must therefore recognise that legitimacy comes from constitutional alignment, trust is built through transparency, and sustainability depends on economic inclusiveness.

“A reformed, inclusive, and constitutionally compliant framework, as it currently is before the ranking is being mooted, will not only improve textbook quality but also strengthen Nigeria’s educational and publishing ecosystems. If retained, the 2026 Book Ranking policy risks achieving the opposite,” NPA said.