The Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, has denounced the effect of the foreign published books dominance in Nigeria academic institutions on the foreign exchange. Represented by the Minister of State for Education, Goodluck Nanah Opiah, Adamu disclosed this in an event in Abuja while revealing the 50 new textbooks published by Nigerian authors, under the sponsorship of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund). He said the indigenous publications would end the dominance of foreign academic materials in the nation’s institutions.
Adamu explains that Nigeria’s tertiary institutions dependent on foreign published books come with the attendant consequences of the herculean processes and unfavorable foreign exchange rate. He said it is equally worrisome that most of the country’s academic publications are of standard quality. Thus it is said that enhancing the culture of quality authorship and the production of indigenous books will ensure availability of relevant books in diverse subject areas. It will also protect national pride and reduce the demand for foreign exchange, considering the level of awareness in the local environment and enlightenment.
ASUU president advocated for an increase in the education tax.
Highly-acclaimed TETFund efforts in the publications of the textbooks while also tasking the agency and authors to further go beyond producing books with English language and dive into using the country’s indigenous languages. This is said to be an act of promoting authorship in local languages in accordance with the recently approved National Language Policy. Also on his part, President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) Comrade Emmanuel Osodeke, commended TETFund for transforming the nation’s higher education sector, describing the agency as the coinage of the union.
President of the ASUU advocated for an increment in the education tax from the current 2.5 percent to 10 percent in order to enable TETFund to generate more funds to do a complete overhaul the challenges facing the sector. Speaking on the payment of the education tax, he denounced the negligence behaviour of some big companies and affluent Nigerians. He said there it is imperative to reposition and expand the education tax net to generate more resources for tertiary institutions. While commenting on the development, Sonny Echono, Executive Secretary of TETFund, Arc. commended the authors, TETFund’s Technical Advisory Group (TAG) and others for the publication of the 50 new textbooks.
The newly published books would be distributed for free to institutions.
According to Echono TETFund is dedicated to implement the developments noting that the agency has set a least target of 50 textbooks per year, which he assures that the agency will exceed the expectation. He also guaranteed that the newly published books would be distributed for free to tertiary institutions’ libraries in the country. Subsequently, and other book published by the agency will be made available w with tag price for students and researchers, he added. As part of the TETFund efforts to ease the affairs, Echono said work is underway to digitized thesis and records which can be accessed online on the established education cloud.
This primary aim is ensuring the authors intellectual properties are well protected. On the ASUU president’s urge for education tax increment to 10 percent, Echono explains that it is notable that the incumbent government has done a lot in this regard. He said despite the challenges faced in the industry within the last two years, the presidents have made an increment on the education tax last year from its initial 2 percent to 2.5 percent. Also, the president has made a move to ensure it is increased to 3 percent under the current Finance Bill.
40 of the 50 textbooks were published by centers under TETFund.
Moreover, TETFund efforts in transforming tertiary institutions cannot be overemphasized. As such, increasing the agency funding will boost the level of achievement in the institutions. Chairman of TETFund’s TAG, Prof. Charles Aworh, said the event was noteworthy given that 40 of the 50 textbooks were published by Academic Publishing Centres established by TETFund. Aworh stated the big achievement is one of the significant objectives of TETFund Higher Education Book Development Intervention Project which is reviving academic publishing in Nigeria’s tertiary education institutions. He further pledged TAG commitments to meet its mandate of delivering annually a substantial number of high quality textbooks to the Nigerian tertiary education system.
Related Link
TETFund: Website
FG denounce foreign academic books dominance – Minister reveals 50 new textbooks published by Nigerian authors. – Express your point of view.
If government are rejecting foreign books not to be used then standard of production of our books from this authors must be good for our students to compete with any in the world.
Production of our own textbooks will help us in our academic excellence. I agree with the Federal government to denounce the foreign textbooks. Kudos also to Tetfund, for helping out.
The domination of books that were published outside of Nigeria in Nigeria’s academic institutions has a significant impact on the country’s trade deficit.
The dominance of foreign academic resources in the nation’s institutions would be brought to an end as a result of the indigenous publications.
I agree with the Federal government to denounce the foreign textbooks. This would really test the competency of our write and promote us as a country. Well their impact on the students would tell!
Tertiary institutions in Nigeria’s that rely on books published outside the country are subject to the concomitant consequences of the laborious processes and unfavorable exchange rate for foreign currency.
Is a good step from the government. Indigenous textbooks production should be promoted as we also have a lot of great professional and doctors that can write good.
This is nice step we should be using the books published by our author for us not to be depending on foreign books ways. Our author need to put more effort since we will be depending on their books
The English Textbook Fund’s publication efforts have been well-lauded, and the organization has been tasked with expanding into the production of textbooks written in the country’s indigenous languages.
FG denounce foreign academic books dominance. Both international and Nigeria text book is needed
If this text books publishing to schools is given appropriate attention by the government,it can really boost the economy and also provide lots of jobs for the citizens.
It is of the utmost importance to restructure and broaden the education tax net in order to provide more financial support for postsecondary educational institutions.
It is of the utmost importance to restructure and broaden the education tax net in order to provide more financial support for postsecondary educational institutions.
The quality of our authors’ books must be high if the government is rejecting them so that our pupils can compete internationally.
If the government prioritizes school textbook publishing, it can stimulate the economy and create many jobs.
Local publishing would end the monopoly of foreign research materials in the country’s universities.
It’s good to use our authors’ books instead of foreign ones. Since we rely on their works, our authors must work more.
We can’t just keep on depending on foreign textbooks. We need to promote our own.
Nigerians are part of the best brains in the world. We should begin to celebrate and cherish what we have. Federal Government denouncing foreign books for Nigerian book is good and promising.
Nigeria’s tertiary institutions are impacted by the simultaneous effects of the time-consuming procedures and unfavorable exchange rate for foreign currency when they rely on books released outside of the nation.
The English Textbook Fund has been charged with extending into the development of textbooks published in the nation’s indigenous languages as a result of its well-received publication initiatives.