Publishers fault FG’s textbook ranking policy

The Federal Government’s newly introduced textbook assessment and ranking policy could impose costs of more than N135 million on individual publishing firms seeking approval for educational materials, the Nigerian Publishers Association (NPA) has warned. Speaking at a press briefing in Lagos, NPA President Luqman Dauda expressed concerns over the financial implications, saying it may increase […]

The Federal Government’s newly introduced textbook assessment and ranking policy could impose costs of more than N135 million on individual publishing firms seeking approval for educational materials, the Nigerian Publishers Association (NPA) has warned.

Speaking at a press briefing in Lagos, NPA President Luqman Dauda expressed concerns over the financial implications, saying it may increase the cost of production and distribution at retail price to the consumers.

Dauda said that under the proposed framework, publishers would be required to pay N2,000 per page per subject for textbook assessment and an additional N1 million per subject for ranking.

He added that a publisher seeking approval for all subjects under the new curriculum would pay approximately N47.57 million for book assessments alone and pay N88 million across the 88 subjects covered under the basic and senior secondary school curriculum for ranking.

“For clarity purposes, the new curriculum contains:  For Basic Education – 51 subjects, making 102 books with work books and for Senior Secondary – 37 subjects. 

“At an average of 200 and 85 pages per subject for textbooks and work books respectively at the basic level, and an average of 250 pages per subject at the senior secondary level, a publisher, who is desirous of providing all subjects will be made to pay: For Basic Education subjects: 51 subjects x 285 pages x N2,000.00  = N29,070,000.00

“Also For Senior Secondary:  37 subjects x 250 pages x N2,000.00 = 18,500,000.00. This amounts to a whopping total of N47,570,000.00 only for book assessment. And for Ranking:  88 subjects x N1,000,000.00  = N88,000,000.00 Total for Assessment and Ranking   = N135,570,000.00 How will such charges bring down the cost of books and make the same affordable to parents?” he asked.   

He urged the federal ministry of education to reconsider the ranking policy and engage stakeholders more extensively before implementation while reaffirming the NPA’s support for reforms aimed at improving educational standards.