Here’s hoping the NPA wins this one!
The Nigerian publishing industry is locked in a legal battle with the state that could reshape textbook procurement across Africa’s most populous nation.
The Nigerian Publishers Association has filed suit at the Federal High Court in Ibadan challenging the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council’s (NERDC) decision to make a new textbook ranking exercise compulsory for titles already approved for classroom use.
A New Layer of Scrutiny
NERDC introduced the ranking framework in 2025 to ensure instructional materials align with the national curriculum and meet prescribed quality standards. Under the policy, previously certified textbooks must undergo fresh assessment and ranking before they can continue to be sold or distributed to schools.
The Legal Challenge
The NPA’s suit names the NERDC, the President, the Minister of Education and the Attorney-General as defendants. The association argues that NERDC lacks statutory authority to impose additional conditions on books that have already passed the legally prescribed approval process.
It also questions whether regulations introduced under the NERDC Act can take effect without presidential approval and publication in the Federal Gazette – procedural steps the publishers say were skipped.
Steep Fees, Tight Margins
The financial implications are severe. NERDC initially set the ranking fee at ₦1 million per title and assessment at ₦2,000 per page. Following an outcry from stakeholders, these were reduced to ₦750,000 and ₦1,500 per page respectively. For an industry dominated by small and medium-sized enterprises, the cost of re-certifying backlist titles threatens to push already-marginal educational titles out of the market.
Broader Industry Context
The NPA, which represents approximately 120 member publishers, has emphasised that it remains open to dialogue with the Federal Government even as litigation proceeds. The association says it seeks a system that is “lawful, transparent and beneficial to learners, teachers and publishers.”
The View From The Beach
The court’s ruling will determine whether regulatory bodies can retroactively impose new compliance layers – and fees – on approved content. For educational publishers operating in or considering entry into Nigeria, the case demonstrates the importance of monitoring regulatory shifts in markets where state procurement dominates distribution channels.
Here’s hoping the NPA wins this one!
This post first appeared in the TNPS LinkedIn newsfeed.
