The Lagos State Government has officially responded to a controversial nursery school English language textbook that recently sparked outrage across social media platforms.
The reaction follows a viral video posted by a concerned parent who highlighted inappropriate content within the pages of a book being used by her child. In the footage, the parent criticized the material for containing themes and language deemed entirely unsuitable for children in their formative years.
Responding to the development, Mrs. Abisola Dokunmu-Adegbite, the Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, clarified that the material in question is not part of the state’s official curriculum. She emphasized that the textbook was never authorized for use in any public or approved private school within the state.
According to the Ministry, Lagos maintains a rigorous vetting process to ensure all instructional materials are age-appropriate, morally sound, and aligned with the state’s educational standards.
Preliminary investigations by the state have already identified the school featured in the video, which is reportedly located in the Ojo Local Government Area of Lagos. Authorities have also identified the publisher of the book and confirmed that further investigations are underway to determine how the unapproved material made its way into the classroom.
The government warned that appropriate sanctions would be applied to any institution found violating the guidelines on approved learning resources.
This controversy has also drawn legal and federal attention. Human rights activist Inibehe Effiong recently announced that his client, Mrs. Udoka Mary Queen, the parent who shared the video was invited for questioning by the Zone 2 Police Command in Onikan. The invitation allegedly stems from a complaint by the textbook’s author, Ayengbe Ebhohimen JB.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has used the incident to reiterate plans for a National Textbook Ranking System, set to launch later this year, to prevent the proliferation of substandard and unrated educational materials in Nigerian schools.
