Let me tell you something that will make your blood boil.
Nigeria imports between 90 and 95 percent of the white-grade paper it uses. That means almost every page of every textbook your child touches started its life on a ship from China, Indonesia, or the United States. By the time that paper reaches a Nigerian publisher, gets printed, bound, shipped to a distributor, marked up by a school, and sold to you, the original cost has been multiplied so many times that you might as well be buying gold leaf.
Between 2021 and 2025, Nigeria spent a staggering N3.37 trillion on paper imports. In 2025 alone, that bill hit N1.1 trillion, a 16 percent jump from N948 billion in 2024. And here is the part that will make you want to scream: Nigeria once had three functional paper mills that could have prevented all of this. They are all dead now.
So who is really to blame for the high cost of paper and printing in Nigeria? The publishers? The schools? The government? The answer is all of them, and none of them, all at once. Let me break it down.
Your Naira Is Funding Factories in China
Here is the reality that no publisher will say to your face.
Every time you buy a textbook for your child, you are not just paying for the author's research or the publisher's editing team. You are paying for a container ship. You are paying for Chinese paper mills. You are paying for Indonesian forests. You are paying for American chemical pulp. And you are paying for the forex premium that makes all of that cost twice as much as it should.
The Printing and Publishing Association of Nigeria (PPAN) has confirmed that production costs in the printing and publishing sector have risen by nearly 200 percent in the last three years. Not 20 percent. Two hundred percent.
A typical 150-page textbook that cost around N800,000 to produce for a modest print run in 2022 now costs upwards of N1.5 million in 2026. That is nearly a 100 percent increase in just four years. And who pays for that? You do.
Evidence: The Numbers That Will Make You Question Everything
Let me show you exactly how deep this rabbit hole goes.
Nigeria's Paper Import Bill (2021–2025):
2021: N328.9 billion
2022: N412.2 billion
2023: N573 billion
2024: N948.2 billion
2025: N1.107 trillion
That is a threefold increase in naira terms over four years. And the exports? Negligible. Nigeria exported just N19.6 billion worth of paper products in 2025, a fraction of what it imported.
The Local Production Disaster:
Nigeria's local manufacturers now meet less than 10 percent of national paper demand, which is estimated at over three million metric tonnes annually.
Meanwhile, the country loses approximately N674 billion annually to foreign paper producers due to the collapse of domestic mills. The sector's contribution to GDP has stagnated at a miserable 0.14 percent. Over 300,000 jobs linked to the paper value chain have been lost.
The Publisher's Nightmare:
Listed publishing houses Learn Africa Plc and University Press Plc recorded a combined projected loss after tax of N588 million for the first quarter of 2026. Learn Africa reported a staggering 63 percent increase in its cost of sales. They are selling more books and losing more money. That is how broken the system is.
Analysis: Why Paper Costs What It Costs
Let me explain the madness in plain English.
The Three Dead Mills
Nigeria used to have three major paper mills:
Nigerian Paper Mill (NPM) in Jebba, Kwara State
Iwopin Pulp and Paper Company in Ogun State
Nigeria Newsprint Manufacturing Company (NNMC) in Oku Iboku, Akwa Ibom State
These mills were established between 1969 and 1976. At their peak in the 1980s, they produced tens of thousands of tons of paper annually, significantly reducing dependence on imports and even supporting exports to other African countries.
By the early 2000s, all three had collapsed. Mismanagement. Obsolete technology. Lack of investment. Policy inconsistencies. And some investors accused of asset stripping rather than reinvestment.
Today, Nigeria has what industry experts describe as "two and a half" paper mills, most of which focus on recycling rather than primary papermaking. Compare that to Egypt, which operates 25 functional paper mills. Twenty-five. In one country. While we struggle with zero.
The Tariff Madness
Here is where it gets really infuriating.
Imported paper attracts a 25 percent import duty. But finished educational books and notebooks often enter the country duty-free.
Let me translate that for you. It is cheaper to import a finished textbook from China than it is to import the raw paper to print that same textbook in Nigeria. This creates a paradox where local printers are punished for trying to produce locally. As the Chairman of the Printing, Publishing and Allied Group, Gabriel Okonkwo, put it: "Foreign printers from India and China offer 120-day credit terms, but local printers must pay for imported paper two months before it arrives".
The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has confirmed that over 80 percent of printing inputs—including paper, ink, and plates—are imported, exposing operators to full foreign exchange volatility.
The NERDC Fee Hike
Just when you thought it could not get worse, the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) increased textbook assessment fees from N300 to N2,000 per page—a 300 percent increase. On top of that, they introduced an additional N1 million charge per subject for ranking.
The Nigerian Publishers Association (NPA) has calculated that a standard publishing firm intending to provide comprehensive materials across the basic and senior secondary curricula would incur an aggregate cost of N135.57 million for assessment and ranking alone.
The NPA president, Lukman Dauda, warned that this policy "could increase the cost of textbooks and reduce access for students". He also noted that the policy was introduced while operators are still adjusting to a new national curriculum introduced merely seven months ago.
The Electricity and Infrastructure Tax
Let us not forget the invisible costs. Nigerian printers must maintain large-scale industrial generators because the national grid is unreliable. Fuel for these generators forms a major portion of operational costs. That is a tax you never see on any receipt, but you pay for it every time you buy a book.
Possible Solutions: What Is Actually Being Done
Not all hope is lost. Some progress has been made.
The "Nigeria First" Policy
President Bola Tinubu's "Nigeria First Policy" prioritises locally made goods in public procurement. Stakeholders have called for full implementation across all government ministries and agencies.
The Nixin Paper Mill Investment
One company, Nixin Paper Mill Nigeria Limited, has invested about $80 million into local production of cultural paper (white paper, publishing paper, and writing paper). Production commenced in 2024, and the company claims it can fully satisfy Nigeria's demand for printing and publishing paper. The mill produces an average of 6,000 tons of paper monthly, though market demand exceeds about 20,000 tons per month.
The LCCI's Recommendations
The LCCI has proposed several interventions:
Establish a Printing Industry Development Fund to provide low-interest loans to operators for equipment upgrades
Revive dormant paper mills in Iwopin, Oku Iboku, and Jebba
Zero import duty on critical inputs that are not produced locally
Reduce port charges to ease the burden on manufacturers
Review fiscal and trade policies to promote backward integration
The Minister's Visit
In what industry stakeholders see as a positive sign, the Minister of State for Industry, Senator John Owan Enoh, recently visited two paper manufacturing companies in Ogun State. The visit focused on pathways to strengthening local manufacturing and government support.
Counter-Arguments: The Publisher's Side
Before you grab your pitchfork, let me give you the publisher's perspective.
"We Are Not Making Excessive Profits"
Look at the numbers. Learn Africa and University Press recorded combined losses despite revenue increases. If publishers were making killing, their balance sheets would show it. They are not.
"Piracy Forces Us to Sell Through Schools"
Publishers argue that they prefer to sell directly through schools because pirated books flood open markets. Pirates do not pay authors. They do not pay taxes. Their costs are lower, so their prices are lower, but the quality is often terrible. Selling through schools is partly about guaranteeing that students get legitimate copies.
"We Are Absorbing Costs"
The NPA has maintained that publishers have continued to absorb rising production costs in order to keep textbooks affordable, stressing that the real cost pressures often arise within distribution channels rather than at the publishing stage.
These are valid points. But they do not excuse the fact that the entire supply chain is broken from top to bottom.
What You Can Do Right Now
Stop waiting for the government. Here is what you can do immediately.
A numbered list of actionable steps:
Demand transparency from your school. Ask for the exact titles, ISBNs, and publishers of all required books. Cross-check against the NERDC approved list. Schools sometimes add unnecessary titles.
Form a parent-teacher textbook committee. Organise other parents. Meet with the school. Demand to see their book purchasing policy in writing.
Explore free digital resources. Platforms like the Nigeria Learning Passport (UNICEF supported) and the American University of Nigeria's LOAF (1,000 free e-books) offer legal, free access to educational materials.
Buy second-hand from graduating students. University students leaving school often sell their textbooks for 30 to 50 percent of the original price.
Report exploitative practices. If a school refuses to allow used books or insists on purchasing exclusively from their designated shop at inflated prices, report them to the State Ministry of Education.
Support local publishers who use locally sourced materials. Some smaller publishers have started using recycled paper or locally produced alternatives. Seek them out.
The Environmental Angle Nobody Talks About
There is another cost to this madness that nobody mentions: the environment.
When Nigeria imports paper from China and Indonesia, that paper travels thousands of kilometres on ships that burn heavy fuel oil. The carbon footprint is enormous. And when textbooks are designed for single use, they end up in landfills.
Reusable textbooks, by contrast, reduce waste, lower production emissions, and conserve the resources used to produce paper. The Federal Government's reusable textbook policy, introduced in January 2026, mandates durable textbooks designed to last four to six years. If effectively implemented, this single policy could cut textbook expenses by 50 to 75 percent.
You have read the breakdown. You have seen the numbers. You understand now why that textbook costs as much as a week's worth of groceries.
Here is what I want you to do.
If you are a student, open your browser right now. Go to the Nigeria Learning Passport or the AUN LOAF initiative. Download one free textbook. Just one. See how easy it is. Then share the link with two friends.
If you are a parent, write down the title and ISBN of every textbook on your child's next booklist. Google each one. Check if a free PDF exists online. If it does, demand that the school accept digital copies. Organise other parents. You have more power than you think.
If you are an educator or school administrator, adopt the reusable textbook policy today. Do not wait for the government to enforce it. Be the school that parents talk about as the one that actually cares about their financial struggles.
And finally, share this article. Share it on WhatsApp. Share it on Twitter. Share it on Telegram. Every parent and student who reads this will save money. That is not a promise. That is a guarantee.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: Why does Nigeria import 95% of its paper when we have forests and raw materials?
A: Nigeria's three major paper mills—Jebba, Iwopin, and Oku Iboku—collapsed due to mismanagement, obsolete equipment, and policy inconsistencies, leaving the country with almost no domestic primary papermaking capacity despite having abundant raw materials like bamboo and sugarcane bagasse.
Q: How much did Nigeria spend on importing paper in 2025?
A: Nigeria spent approximately N1.1 trillion on paper imports in 2025 alone, a 16 percent increase from N948 billion in 2024, with cumulative paper import costs between 2021 and 2025 reaching N3.37 trillion.
Q: What is the NERDC textbook assessment fee, and why did it increase?
A: The NERDC increased textbook assessment fees from N300 to N2,000 per page—a 300 percent increase—and introduced an additional N1 million charge per subject for ranking, which publishers warn will make textbooks unaffordable for Nigerian students.
Q: Are there any functional paper mills left in Nigeria?
A: Nigeria has very limited functional paper capacity, with most existing operations focusing on recycling rather than primary papermaking; however, Nixin Paper Mill in Ogun State invested $80 million and commenced production of cultural paper in 2024.
Q: Why is it cheaper to import finished textbooks than to print them in Nigeria?
A: Imported paper attracts a 25 percent import duty, while finished educational books enter Nigeria duty-free, making it cheaper to import complete textbooks from China than to import raw paper for local printing, which punishes domestic publishers.
Q: What is the Lagos Chamber of Commerce proposing to fix Nigeria's printing industry?
A: The LCCI has proposed a Printing Industry Development Fund for low-interest loans, reviving dormant paper mills in Iwopin, Oku Iboku, and Jebba, zero import duty on critical inputs, and reduced port charges to ease the burden on manufacturers.
Q: How many jobs has Nigeria lost due to the collapse of its paper industry?
A: Over 300,000 jobs linked to the paper value chain have been lost as local plants closed, and the sector's contribution to GDP has stagnated at just 0.14 percent.
Q: What is the reusable textbook policy introduced by the Federal Government in 2026?
A: The reusable textbook policy mandates durable, standardised textbooks designed to remain in circulation for four to six years, eliminating annual textbook purchases and prohibiting cosmetic revisions that force families to buy new editions every year.
Q: How much does it cost to produce a single textbook in Nigeria today?
A: A typical 150-page textbook that cost around N800,000 to produce in 2022 now costs upwards of N1.5 million for a modest print run, with production costs rising by nearly 200 percent in the last three years due to forex volatility and import dependence.
Q: What can Nigerian parents do to reduce textbook costs immediately?
A: Nigerian parents can form textbook cooperatives with other families, buy second-hand copies, demand school booklists before term starts to compare prices, explore free digital resources like the Nigeria Learning Passport, and report schools that block used book usage to State Ministries of Education.