The House of Representatives has issued a call for the Federal Government to “prohibit the production, importation, and usage of educational materials that contain content promoting Lesbianism, Bisexuality, and Transgender (LGBT) in the nation’s educational resources.” This resolution was put forward in a motion by Rep. Sulaiman Gumi during a plenary session in Abuja.
Gumi emphasised the need to ban inappropriate educational materials in nursery and pre-primary schools throughout the country, underscoring the role of the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) in ensuring quality in national-level book development and local authorship. He also pointed out the introduction of foreign educational materials that run counter to the nation’s established values and ethics.
Gumi specifically cited the book ‘Queen Primer,’ which he claimed subtly introduced terms like ‘gay’ and ‘eros,’ advocating sexual perversion and immoral behaviour to young children. He deemed this exposure unlawful, unethical, highly immoral, and in direct contradiction to the principles of child upbringing.
In response to Gumi’s motion, Rep. Fayinka Oluwatoyin proposed an amendment suggesting that the use of such materials after their ban should be considered a criminal offence. This amendment was unanimously accepted by the House and referred to the House Committee on Basic Education.
The House called on the Federal Ministry of Education, the Nigeria Educational Research and Development Council, and the Education Research Council (ERC) to conduct a comprehensive review and censorship of the content in educational materials used in nursery and primary schools to ensure they are appropriate and free of any connotations of immoral behaviour. The Committee on Basic Education has been tasked with overseeing and ensuring compliance with this directive.
