DANGERS OF THE NEW NERDC REVIEW COST AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT BOOK RANKING POLICY

The Federal Government's recent announcement to blacklist schools, publishers, and authors who use "unapproved textbooks" is understandable in principle, we all want quality education.

However, the method being introduced poses serious dangers to the nation's economy, the book industry, schools, and the very parents and pupils we intend to help.

Here are the key concerns:

1. Danger to the National Economy
This policy will kill investment and jobs in the book value chain.

– Cost barrier: NERDC has increased review cost from ₦500 to ₦1,500 per page. FG has also introduced a new "Book Ranking" fee of ₦750,000 per subject.

– What this means: For one 200-page book, a publisher will pay ₦300,000 to NERDC + ₦750,000 for ranking = ₦1,050,000 before printing a single copy.

– For the full curriculum of about 34 subjects across Primary 1-6, JSS 1-3 and SSS 1-3, that is ₦10.2m to NERDC + ₦25.5m for ranking = ₦35.7 million just for approvals. Money paid is non-refundable even if your book does not make the list. Small and medium publishers, printers, and booksellers will collapse. Thousands of jobs will be lost. Investment capital will flee the sector.

2. Danger to Book Industry Practitioners – Publishers, Authors, Printers, Booksellers
The policy will create a monopoly for only the "big 10" publishers.

– FG says only 10 textbooks per subject will be approved for the whole country. If your book is good but ranked 11th, you cannot sell it in any public school. After spending ₦1m+ per title.

– This discourages creativity, local content, and competition. Authors will stop writing. New publishers will not enter. The industry that has existed for over 60 years will be reduced to a cartel.

3. Danger to Schools
Many public schools are already struggling.

– Some still operate under sheds, with leaking roofs, and without enough chairs and desks.

– Now schools will be "blacklisted" if they use books not on the approved 10. But who supplies the approved books on time? Who ensures they are affordable?
This will create chaos at resumption and widen the gap between schools that can comply and those that cannot.

4. Danger to Students and Parents – The End Users
Parents will bear the heaviest burden.

– These huge approval costs will be transferred directly to book prices.

– Many parents today can barely afford English and Mathematics textbooks. Many pupils go to school in worn uniforms and without shoes.

– With this policy, the price of textbooks will double or triple. The result: more out-of-school children, more pupils sharing one textbook, and a drop in learning outcomes.

We are asking parents who cannot feed to pay for a policy that adds ₦35m in government fees before a book gets to their child's classroom.

Our Appeal

Quality control is important. But quality without access is useless.

We therefore appeal to the Federal Government and NERDC to:

1. Suspend the ₦750,000 ranking fee and the new review rates until proper consultations are done with industry stakeholders.

2. Review the "Top 10 only" policy to allow more approved books, so there is competition and choice.

3. Engage NPA, BAN, and other stakeholders to develop a model that ensures quality and affordability.

Education is too important to be priced out of the reach of the average Nigerian child.

Let us build a system that improves quality without destroying the industry, crippling schools, and impoverishing parents.

Dare Oluwatuyi