Nigeria, Sept. 14 -- The story begins in a familiar place: a parent standing at the counter of a school office, clutching a crumpled list of required items. On that list-again-are customized textbooks and notebooks, stamped with the school's name, sold at double the market price. The parent knows what's coming. Pay up, or their child risks being left out of class. For many households already stretched to the breaking point, it's the kind of choice that feels like a trap.

But then comes Kogi State's new policy-a sharp break in the chain. The government has banned the compulsory sale of customized books. Schools can still offer them, yes, but only at normal market rates, and parents can no longer be forced to buy them. That one decision hi...