FG Slashes Textbook Assessment Fees by 25% and Promises Cash Refunds Ahead of September 2026 Classroom Ban on Unranked Books

In a major relief for the country’s publishing sector and local authors, the Federal Government has officially rolled back regulatory charges for school textbook evaluations, promising cash refunds to firms that had already paid higher rates.

The price reduction was announced in an official directive by the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) as part of preparations for the upcoming National Textbook Ranking Policy. Under the newly approved tariff structure, the cost of assessing a textbook has been slashed by 25 percent—dropping from ₦2,000 to ₦1,500 per page. Additionally, the blanket ranking fee charged per book title has been cut from ₦1 million down to ₦750,000.

Crucially, the educational council addressed concerns regarding publishers who had already submitted payments under the previous fee structure. NERDC confirmed that all excess money collected under the older ₦2,000 per-page rate will be systematically calculated and refunded back to affected publishing houses.

“Publishers who had already paid the previous assessment fee of ₦2,000 per page will receive refunds of the excess payment, while the exact procedure for processing these reimbursements will be announced shortly,” stated NERDC Executive Secretary, Prof. Salisu Shehu. “The revised rates take immediate effect, and all stakeholders across the book publishing ecosystem are expected to comply seamlessly as we prepare for the national ranking rollout.”

The tariff cuts come as a direct response to growing anxiety within the education sector. The Nigerian Publishers Association (NPA) had earlier raised serious concerns regarding the financial burden of the ranking framework, warning that multi-million-naira assessment bills would strain capital for smaller presses and ultimately push up the retail price of schoolbooks for parents.

The fee review comes ahead of the September 2026 implementation date for the National Textbook Ranking System, a flagship reform introduced by Minister of Education Dr. Tunji Alausa. Designed to stamp out substandard, error-filled, and pirated instructional materials from primary and secondary schools, the policy changes the rules of engagement for Nigerian classrooms.

Going forward, traditional NERDC content approval will no longer guarantee a book’s entry into the school system. Every approved title must now pass through an expert evaluation committee that ranks books based on curriculum alignment, print durability, and pedagogical quality. Textbooks that fail to secure a place on the official national rank list will be strictly barred from classroom use.

By lowering the barrier to entry while keeping the quality bar high, the ministry aims to ensure that teachers and students receive top-tier learning materials without placing an unsustainable financial strain on the local publishing industry.