The House of Representatives in Nigeria has recently passed a resolution calling for the ban of a widely popular children’s book, “Queen Primer,” due to its controversial content.
The motion was introduced by Honourable Sulaiman Gumi during a session in the House on Thursday, and it garnered unanimous support from the legislators.
During his presentation, Gumi emphasized the presence of explicit terms such as “gay” and “eros” in the book, which according to the members of the House, introduce concepts of homosexuality to young children.
Gumi further highlighted the increasing influx of foreign educational materials into Nigerian nursery and primary schools, expressing concern that some of these materials promote values and ideologies that contradict Nigeria’s cherished cultural norms and societal values.
Supporting the motion, Bello el-Rufai shared a personal anecdote about withdrawing his own children from a renowned school in Abuja due to the book’s inclusion of such words.
El-Rufai went on to assert that, despite having lived in the United States for a considerable period, his uprightness and adherence to his religious beliefs were upheld due to his strong religious background.
As a result, the House resolved to not only ban the book in question but also similar books that propagate what they deem to be a pervasive culture.
Furthermore, the House passed a resolution declaring the use of such books as a criminal offense under Nigerian law. This measure aims to deter schools and individuals from promoting ideologies that are deemed inconsistent with the country’s traditional norms.
