Publishers say NERDC’s textbook fee cut fails to address core concerns

The Nigerian Publishers Association (NPA) has said the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council’s (NERDC) reduction of textbook assessment and ranking fees does not address the fundamental concerns surrounding the controversial book ranking policy.

In a statement issued on Tuesday by its Executive Secretary, Rotimi Iyiola, the association said although the fee reduction acknowledged stakeholders’ concerns, it only addressed a fraction of the issues raised.

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

However, the association maintained that its opposition was never limited to the assessment fees but also to the broader implications of the proposed book ranking policy.

According to the NPA, the policy would impose additional financial burdens on publishers, increase the cost of textbooks for parents, and negatively affect Nigeria’s education sector.

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It also described the proposed two-layer assessment process for quality assurance as exploitative and unnecessary.

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 standards to compete fairly in the federal government’s procurement process.

According to the publishers, such an approach would prevent any publisher from gaining an unfair commercial advantage in the wider market by relying on a government-issued ranking status.

The NPA also called on the ministry to strengthen the existing quality assurance process rather than introduce a ranking system.

While acknowledging the reduction in assessment fees, the association said the review was insufficient to achieve the government’s objective of making books affordable and accessible.

It noted that the assessment fee was originally increased from ₦500 per page to ₦2,000 per page, representing a 300 per cent increase, and that the new rate of ₦1,500 per page still amounts to a 200 per cent increase.

The publishers described the revised fee as “still outrageous” and urged the government to undertake a more substantial review.

The association reaffirmed its commitment to continued dialogue with the Federal Ministry of Education and other stakeholders to promote quality education, encourage innovation, ensure fair competition in the publishing industry, and keep textbooks affordable for Nigerian learners.