What University Press does

University Press PLC (UPPLC) is a publicly-listed Nigerian educational publisher headquartered in Ibadan and founded in 1949, operating as one of the country's oldest and most established publishing houses. The company produces curriculum-aligned textbooks and learning materials across all Nigerian education levels — pre-primary, primary, junior secondary, senior secondary, and tertiary — covering subjects including mathematics, English, basic sciences, history, religious studies, vocational subjects, and specialized tertiary content such as the UPPLC Casebook Law Series. Products are aligned with the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) Universal Basic Education curriculum standards.

The company's portfolio spans over 5,000 published titles delivered through print editions, e-books, and the Outlearn digital learning platform, with additional retail presence through the New Horizons sub-brand. Distribution is multi-channel: a nationwide network of 22 depots, a direct field sales force engaging schools and institutions, the company website, and third-party marketplaces including Konga, Amazon, and Selar. UPPLC also provides commercial printing services to third-party publishers, with over 5,000 titles printed cumulatively.

The business model is primarily transactional one-time sales of physical and digital books at unit prices ranging from ₦750 to ₦5,950 (approximately $4-$9 USD), supplemented by commercial printing services revenue. Customer segments span individual students/parents, educational institutions (primary through tertiary), and government education stakeholders. The company is publicly traded on the Nigerian Exchange under ticker UPL, with a ₦4.7 share price as of July 2026 and a 15 kobo dividend approved at the 47th AGM in September 2025 following a reported return to profitability.

Name

University Press

Legal name

University Press PLC

Website

https://universitypressplc.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1949

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

University Press PLC is a publicly-listed Nigerian educational publisher, founded in 1949, producing NERDC/UBE curriculum-aligned textbooks and learning materials from pre-primary through tertiary levels, distributed through 22 depots, e-commerce, and digital platforms to schools and students across Nigeria.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Publishing

NAICS

Book Publishers (513130)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Book Printing (2732)

akta.pro primary industry

K–12 Textbook Publishing (Core Curriculum) (MPAJABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Higher Education Textbook Publishing (MPAJABAB), Children’s Educational & Curriculum Publishing (MPAJAFAF)

Keywords

• Educational publishing
• Curriculum textbooks
• Primary secondary education
• Law casebooks
• Commercial printing

Headquarters

HQ city

Ibadan

HQ country

Nigeria

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Physical Book Sales: Sale of printed educational textbooks and general reading materials across pre-primary, primary, junior secondary, senior secondary, and tertiary levels. Products include curriculum-based books aligned with Nigerian educational standards (UBE Curriculum, NERDC).
2. Digital/E-book Sales: Sale of digital book formats through the company's Outlearn platform and third-party marketplaces including Konga, Amazon, and Selar.
3. Printing Services: Commercial printing services for third-party publishers and authors, with over 5,000 titles printed.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

University Press PLC publishes and sells curriculum-aligned educational textbooks and general reading materials for Nigerian students spanning pre-primary, primary, junior secondary, senior secondary, and tertiary education levels. The company also provides commercial printing services for third-party publishers and authors, with a portfolio of over 5,000 titles distributed through its own website, third-party marketplaces, and 22 nationwide depots.

Product overview

University Press PLC (UPPLC) is Nigeria's foremost educational publisher, founded in 1949, offering a comprehensive portfolio of curriculum-based publications spanning Pre-Primary through Tertiary education levels. The product portfolio consists of print textbooks and digital e-books organized across educational levels: Pre-Primary, Primary, Junior Secondary School (JSS 1-3), Senior Secondary School (SSS 1-3), and Tertiary. Key product lines include the MAN Mathematics Series, New Oxford Secondary English Course (NOSEC), Exam Focus examination preparation series, Active Basic Science and Technology Series, History for Nigerian Schools, Christian Religious Studies Series, Young Achievers early childhood series, and the UPPLC Casebook Law Series for law students. The company also operates the Outlearn digital platform for online learning. Products are available through the company's website, Amazon, Konga, and Selar marketplace channels. With over 5,000 published titles, UPPLC serves Nigerian students, educators, and institutions with NERDC/UBE curriculum-aligned materials.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Outlearn: Digital learning platform operated by University Press PLC
• New Horizons

Products and services

• Pre-Primary Educational Books Educational textbooks and learning materials designed for pre-primary school children, covering foundational literacy, numeracy, and basic skills aligned with the Nigerian basic education curriculum.
• Primary School Educational Books Comprehensive curriculum-based textbooks for primary school students (Primary 1-6), covering English, Mathematics, Basic Science, Social Studies, Christian Religious Studies, and Civic Education.
• Junior Secondary School Books (JSS 1-3) Three-volume textbook series for Junior Secondary School students covering Basic Science, Basic Technology, Mathematics, English, History, Civic Education, Social Studies, Christian Religious Studies, and Agricultural Science, aligned with UBE/NERDC curriculum.
• Senior Secondary School Books (SSS 1-3) Comprehensive textbooks for Senior Secondary School students covering Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics, English, Government, Commerce, Economics, Computer Studies, Agricultural Science, Home Economics, Islamic Studies, and Civic Education.
• Tertiary-Level Publications Academic publications for university and college students, including law casebooks, applied mathematics, entrepreneurship textbooks, and scholarly works approved by NUC and the Council of Legal Education.
• UPPLC Casebook Law Series Comprehensive law casebook series covering Law of Contract, Law of Tort, Law of Evidence, Labour Law, Equity and Trusts, Company Law, Land Law, Constitutional Law, Commercial Law, Criminal Law, Law of Banking, Law of Taxation, and Administrative Law, compiling judicial decisions from Nigerian courts.
• E-books Digital versions of UPPLC's educational publications available for electronic reading, complementing physical print editions and distributed via the company's Outlearn platform and third-party marketplaces.
• Dictionaries Reference dictionaries for children and students including English, Mathematics, French, and Yoruba language dictionaries designed to develop vocabulary and language skills.
• Outlearn Digital Platform Online digital learning platform providing access to educational content and resources for students and educators, operated as a wholly-owned subsidiary of University Press PLC.
• MAN Mathematics Series Comprehensive mathematics textbook series for Junior and Senior Secondary Schools covering algebraic concepts, geometry, trigonometry, statistics, and problem-solving techniques.
• New Oxford Secondary English Course (NOSEC) Authoritative English language course for Secondary Schools covering grammar, composition, literature, and comprehension skills, available for both JSS and SSS levels.
• Exam Focus Series Examination preparation books for WASSCE, SSCE, and UTME covering Mathematics, Physics, Agricultural Science, Economics, Geography, Commerce, English, and other subjects.
• Active Basic Science and Technology Series Nine-year Basic Education Curriculum aligned science and technology series covering basic science, basic technology, physical and health education, and computer studies for Junior Secondary Schools.
• Commercial Printing Services Commercial printing services offered to third-party publishers and authors, with the company having printed over 5,000 titles cumulatively.

Quantifiable outcome

• 45.45% stock surge in January 2025, among top-performing Nigerian stocks
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Oyo, Lagos, Ondo and Enugu State GovernmentsminorOthers · 1 April 2020Donated money to Oyo, Lagos, Ondo and Enugu States towards the fight against COVID-19 pandemic between April and May 2020.
• Oyo State GovernmentminorOthers · 1 March 2020Donated 3,000 books to public libraries in Oyo State, received by Governor Seyi Makinde in March 2020.
• Ondo State GovernmentminorOthersUniversity Press PLC donated educational books to the Ondo State Government in January 2026 as part of their corporate social responsibility and commitment to educational development.
• Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProducts aligned with NERDC curriculum standards for Universal Basic Education. All educational materials developed following NERDC requirements and educational frameworks.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Pearson plc: Global education publisher whose Nigerian operations (formerly Longman Nigeria) compete in K-12 and English-language learning materials with much broader international scale and digital product lines.
• Oxford University Press: Global academic and educational publisher and the historical parent of UPPLC's original brand identity; remains a broad competitor across tertiary and English-language curriculum globally.
• Cambridge University Press & Assessment: Global publisher with significant presence in international curricula and English-language learning materials, increasingly competing in Nigerian secondary and tertiary markets.

Direct peers

• Ibadan University Press: University press based in Ibadan that publishes scholarly and tertiary-level works for Nigerian higher education, overlapping UPPLC's tertiary publication segment.
• Learn Africa Plc (formerly Longman Nigeria): Direct Nigerian-listed competitor publishing K-12 textbooks and educational materials across the same NERDC curriculum, formerly the Pearson/Longman Nigeria operation.
• Macmillan Education Nigeria: Nigerian arm of Macmillan Education publishing curriculum-aligned K-12 textbooks, competing head-to-head in the same NERDC and exam-preparation (WASSCE/SSCE/UTME) categories.
• Spectrum Books Limited: Nigerian publisher of educational and general-interest books including K-12 and tertiary titles, with overlapping subject coverage in sciences, arts, and social studies.
• Literamed Publications Nigeria Limited: Nigerian publisher of K-12 curriculum textbooks and children's educational books, directly competing in the same NERDC-aligned primary and secondary school segments.
• Evans Brothers (Nigeria) Publishers Limited: Long-standing Nigerian educational and trade book publisher with overlapping primary, secondary, and tertiary textbook offerings against the same Nigerian curriculum.

Regional players

• Heinemann (Pearson) Educational Books: Africa-focused educational publishing imprint (originating from Heinemann's African list) publishing school textbooks relevant to West African curricula, partially overlapping UPPLC's primary/secondary offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/upplc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about University Press