Nigerian Publishers Reject New Federal Ranking Policy Over Imminent Threat of Massive Classroom Price Hikes

The Nigerian Publishers Association (NPA) has launched a fierce institutional opposition against the Federal Government’s newly minted National Textbook Ranking System, warning that the policy will trigger severe instructional material shortages and drive book prices completely out of reach for average families. The controversial framework, introduced by the Federal Ministry of Education through the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC), aims to evaluate and rank approved textbooks for primary and secondary schools ahead of the September 2026 academic session to limit the volume of books in circulation. However, the NPA revealed that the administrative costs under the new guidelines have skyrocketed to predatory levels, with page assessment fees jumping from ₦500 to ₦2,000 per page, alongside a fresh ₦1 million surcharge levied per subject just to enter the ranking phase. Publishers argue that these massive overheads will create a winner-takes-all monopoly that could bankrupt smaller publishing firms while forcing parents to bear the ultimate financial burden.