TDThe Federal Government has introduced a National Textbook Ranking System for primary, junior, and senior secondary schools in a major reform aimed at improving quality assurance and standardisation across Nigeria’s education sector.
The initiative is designed to tackle the growing proliferation of substandard and inconsistent textbooks, ensuring that only high-quality, curriculum-compliant materials are approved for classroom use nationwide.
Announcing the policy, the Minister of Education, Maruf Tunji Alausa, alongside the Minister of State for Education, Suwaiba Sai’d Ahmad, said the reform will strengthen existing regulatory frameworks while introducing a more competitive and transparent selection process.
Under the new system, the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) will retain its statutory responsibility for textbook approval. However, all approved books will now undergo a structured national ranking process to determine the most suitable options for each subject and academic level.
To ensure credibility, NERDC will establish Standing Subject Committees made up of academic and industry experts. These committees will conduct rigorous evaluations based on defined academic, pedagogical, and content standards.
Limited number of top-ranked textbooks
A key feature of the policy is that only a limited number of top-ranked textbooks will ultimately be approved for use in schools.
Authorities say this will enhance consistency, eliminate poor-quality materials, and promote better learning outcomes.
Importantly, the government stated that any textbook not included in the ranking system will be disqualified from use.
This will be regardless of previous approval or licensing status—marking a significant tightening of regulatory control.
Education stakeholders have described the move as a bold step toward sanitising the sector.
Some publishers, however, may face increased scrutiny and competition under the new framework.
Implementation of the ranking system is scheduled to begin in September 2026.
The implementation will follow consultations with stakeholders and the completion of evaluation guidelines.
The Federal Government reaffirmed its commitment to raising educational standard.
It noted that access to well-reviewed, high-quality textbooks is critical to improving student performance and strengthening Nigeria’s overall education system.
