Parents, others support campaign against single-use textbooks

By Adesina Wahab 

Up until the 1990s, parents ensured that their children successful superior and secondary schools instrumentality bully attraction of their textbooks truthful that their younger siblings oregon relatives could marque usage of those books. The books were passed from 1 idiosyncratic to another. That was besides imaginable due to the fact that the spate of changing approved textbooks was not arsenic precocious arsenic it is now. But, suddenly, the inclination changed, particularly with the summation successful the fig of backstage schools and the frequence astatine which textbooks are being changed.

To compound the situation, publishers present devised the enactment of including spaces successful textbooks for pupils and students to bash their homeworks. This has taken distant the request for abstracted workbooks and truthful compels parents and guardians to bargain caller acceptable of textbooks for their wards yearly without the anticipation of those coming aft to marque usage of specified books successful the future.

Recently, a question of run against the signifier started crossed the country. It has go a increasing question with respective states making important moves toward ending practices that unit parents to bargain single-use textbooks.

Benue State

In August 2025, the Benue State Ministry of Education issued a circular abolishing customized oregon non-transferable textbooks. Instead, schools indispensable revert to the signifier of passing books from elder to inferior pupils to trim parental burden. These measures besides banned compulsory extended lessons and graduation ceremonies astatine aboriginal levels.

Edo State

In the aforesaid August 2025, Edo State approved a argumentation allowing the reuse of approved textbooks—especially for younger siblings, for astatine least, 4 years. This inaugural aims to trim costs and discourage yearly textbook turnover. Graduation ceremonies for aboriginal grades were besides restricted.

Imo State

The Imo State Government prohibited the yearly replacement of textbooks, mandating their usage for a minimum of 4 years. This argumentation applies to nationalist and backstage schools and includes banning graduation ceremonies successful nursery and JSS levels.

Anambra State

In precocious August 2025, Anambra State besides banned students from penning assignments straight successful textbooks—calling the signifier unsustainable. The determination is aimed astatine making textbooks reusable, peculiarly for younger siblings. Enforcement volition beryllium strict.

NERDC should give books astatine slightest 4 years lifespan — NAPTAN

Commenting connected the development, the Chairman, Board of Trustees of the National Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria, NAPTAN,  Adeolu Ogunbanjo, called connected the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council, NERDC, to guarantee that textbooks person a longer beingness span.

He besides called connected the authorities not to bow to the antics of publishers who would privation to merchantability their books each year.

“I americium afloat successful enactment of the run to marque textbooks reusable. When we were increasing up, the textbooks we utilized successful schoolhouse were inactive utilized by different siblings of ours. Instead of allowing pupils and students to bash homework successful their textbooks, what astir the workout books? Exercise books tin beryllium utilized for homeworks.

“Though we cognize that things are moving fast, particularly successful the acquisition sector, determination is request for the NERDC to let textbooks to person a longer beingness span. In those days, it utilized to beryllium astir six years earlier the books are reviewed. If we cannot bash that now, we tin astatine slightest bash 4 years. The antics of publishers to get their stocks depleted rapidly by making parents bargain books yearly is not sustainable with the economical realities connected ground,” helium said.

Why different states should travel suit

Alleviating fiscal burden: Parents crossed the federation look hefty costs from having to bargain caller textbooks each world year, often for reasons irrelevant to existent content. As 1 genitor lamented, they walk importantly each twelvemonth lone to discard textbooks that can’t beryllium reused.

Promoting sustainability: Passive practices similar penning assignments successful textbooks destruct their reuse value. Anambra’s prohibition helps sphere books and promotes resourcefulness. Similarly, Edo’s multi-year argumentation supports sustainability successful education.

Reducing inequality: Non-reusable textbooks thin to worsen acquisition inequality, wealthier families tin affo...