The Nigerian Publishers Association (NPA) has sued the Federal Government and the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) over the planned introduction of a compulsory national ranking system for textbooks.
The suit, signed by the NPA Executive Secretary, Rotimi Iyiola, was filed at the Federal High Court in Ibadan and challenges the legal basis for the National Textbook Ranking System (NTRS), scheduled to commence from the 2026/2027 academic session.
The case, FHC/IB/CS/117/26, was instituted by the Registered Trustees of the NPA against the President of Nigeria, NERDC, the Minister of Education and the Attorney-General of the Federation.
In an Originating Summons, the publishers are asking the court to determine whether NERDC has the statutory authority to make participation in the ranking exercise compulsory for textbooks that have already been assessed, approved and certified by the Council.
The association is also challenging the ranking fees and other conditions attached to the new framework.
Under the proposed system, textbooks would undergo a national evaluation, with only titles that meet the prescribed requirements qualifying for use in schools.
The NPA is opposing the compulsory reassessment of previously approved textbooks, arguing that books already certified by NERDC should not be subjected to another mandatory evaluation before they can remain in use.
The association is seeking a declaration that NERDC’s statutory functions relating to the assessment, review, development and promotion of educational materials do not extend to imposing a compulsory ranking system on textbooks already approved by the Council.
It is also asking the court to determine whether NERDC has the legal authority to impose a ranking fee and make its payment a condition for participation in the framework.
Another issue before the court is the validity of regulations made under the NERDC Act. The publishers want the court to determine whether such regulations can take effect without complying with the approval and publication requirements provided by law.
The NPA is further asking the court to restrain the defendants from making participation in the ranking exercise, payment of ranking fees or compulsory reassessment a condition for the continued eligibility of previously approved textbooks.
The association said it approached the court after engagements with the Federal Ministry of Education and NERDC failed to resolve its concerns over the proposed policy.
It expressed concern that publishers who do not participate in the ranking exercise could have previously approved textbooks excluded from use in schools.
The NPA also raised concerns about the financial implications of the new requirements, particularly for smaller publishing companies.
The government had reduced the assessment fee from N2,000 to N1,500 per page and the ranking fee from N1 million to N750,000.
The publishers, however, maintained that the revised charges remained substantially higher than the previous rates and could increase the cost of producing textbooks, with possible implications for prices paid by schools and parents.
The association said its legal action was aimed at obtaining judicial clarification on the extent of NERDC’s regulatory powers and ensuring that the implementation of the textbook policy complied with the law.
The NPA said it was not opposed to efforts to improve the quality of textbooks used in Nigerian schools, but maintained that any new evaluation system should be transparent, fair and supported by clear legal authority.
It added that the court action did not prevent further discussions with the Federal Government and NERDC towards resolving the dispute.
