Ahead of the rollout of the National Textbook Ranking System in September, the Federal Government has reduced the cost of assessing and ranking school textbooks following sustained pressure from publishers and education advocates.

According to the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC), the assessment fee has been reduced by 25 per cent, from ₦2,000 to ₦1,500 per page, while the ranking fee has also been cut by 25 per cent, from ₦1 million to ₦750,000 per textbook title.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the council said the review was intended to ease the financial burden on publishers and authors while encouraging wider participation in the new textbook evaluation process.

Publishers and authors seeking assessment and ranking of their textbooks are to begin paying the revised fees with immediate effect. Those who had already paid the previous assessment fee of ₦2,000 per page will be refunded the excess amount.

Policy review follows widespread opposition

The fee reduction follows weeks of criticism from publishers, authors and education stakeholders after the federal government in April introduced the national textbook ranking system, aimed at tackling the proliferation of substandard learning materials and ensuring consistent quality in primary and secondary schools nationwide.

Under the policy, the textbook assessment fee was increased from ₦500 to ₦2,000 per page, while the ranking fee was fixed at ₦1 million per textbook title, a move many stakeholders described as excessive and likely to drive up the cost of learning materials.

The Nigerian Publishers Association (NPA) warned that the charges would increase production costs, make textbooks more expensive, discourage smaller publishers and ultimately reduce access to quality educational materials.

Education advocates also argued that the increased fees contradicted the government’s efforts to improve access to affordable learning resources.

Media advocacy amplifies campaign

Among the leading voices against the fee increase was the founder and publisher of LightRay! Media, Ejiro Umukoro, who spearheaded a nationwide advocacy campaign calling for a review of the policy.

Through appearances on local and international media platforms, Ms Umukoro described the fees as insensitive and poorly timed, arguing that the government should be making education more affordable rather than more expensive.

“In a resource-rich nation like Nigeria, education ought to be free. Countries with far less than we have provide free textbooks. We cannot tax knowledge and expect development,” she said during one of her media engagements.

She also criticised what she described as an opaque textbook ranking system and assessment fees that could make learning materials unaffordable for many Nigerian families.

Her campaign received backing from the Nigerian Publishers Association, which repeatedly urged the government to reconsider the charges.

NERDC announces immediate implementation

Announcing the revised fees in a statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday, Executive Secretary of NERDC, Salisu Shehu, a professor, said the review was intended to ease the financial burden on publishers and authors ahead of the implementation of the national textbook ranking policy.

“The assessment fee has been reduced from ₦2,000 to ₦1,500 per page, while the fee for ranking textbooks has been cut from ₦1 million to ₦750,000 per title,” the statement reads in part.

The Council directed publishers and authors submitting textbooks for assessment to begin paying the revised charges immediately, noting that details of the refund process for publishers who had already paid the previous assessment fees would be announced in due course.

What the policy means

The National Textbook Ranking Policy is part of the federal government’s broader effort to improve the quality of teaching and learning materials used in schools.

Under the policy, only textbooks assessed, approved and ranked by NERDC will be eligible for classroom use from September 2026.

The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa had explained that while NERDC would continue to approve textbooks, approval alone would no longer guarantee their use in schools. Instead, approved books would undergo a national evaluation conducted by expert committees to determine the most suitable textbooks for each subject and level of education.

According to him, the initiative is designed to eliminate substandard learning materials and ensure that pupils and students have access to high-quality, curriculum-compliant textbooks.

Stakeholders welcome fee reduction

Education stakeholders say the government’s decision will ease the immediate financial burden on publishers and help prevent further increase in textbook prices ahead of the new academic session.

The development has also been hailed as a victory for sustained public advocacy.

Reacting to the announcement, Ms Umukoro described the decision as a step in the right direction towards protecting access to education.

“This is a win for Nigerian children, for publishers, and for every voice that says education should not be commodified,” she said.