A controversy seems to be taking shape in the Gabonese textbook market. A showdown between the local publishing houses and the National Pedagogical Institute (IPN) is on the horizon. Publishers want explanations on the acquisition of textbook markets.

Publishing houses in Gabon have the necessary assets to enable them to gain share in the textbook market. However, the production of the Gabonese textbook seems to be the exclusive property of EDIG. The local publishing companies are removed from this lucrative market that can allow them to work better. A fact totally curious since the law prohibits the monopoly: "EDIG has an indefinite exclusivity agreement for 30 years," says Sylvie Ntsame, founder of Editions Ntsame.

This privilege reserved for one company deprives all others of the shares of the school book market, as stated by the editor: "Unfair competition. The IPN, commercial agent of Édig forbids the access of our notebooks of target situations, nevertheless written by the educational inspectors and university teachers, validated by the National Pedagogic Institute in accordance with the curricula. When a publisher succeeds by many difficulties in producing books, thinking to have a certain freedom, unfortunately for him, he discovers that this same group with an indefinite monopoly controls the distribution by Sogapresse. If you are not in the odor of sanctity, your productions will never be on any large surface.

In some countries, such as Ghana, the school and secondary book market in all public schools is reserved for local publishers. Despite the law that protects the Gabonese publishers by providing a clear distribution of the market, the state does not seem to worry about the survival of these local companies that can yet influence the unemployment curve. Most publishing houses employ nationals.

In the country, several companies hold exclusivity in certain markets, disregarding the law and other companies that could generate positive competition.