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From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
The Federal Ministry of Education has announced the introduction of a new ranking system for textbooks used in basic and secondary schools across the country.
The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, explained in a statement on Monday that the decision was intended to strengthen quality assurance and standardisation in Nigeria’s education sector.
He also said the initiative was designed to address the growing proliferation of textbooks in schools and ensure that only high-quality, curriculum-compliant learning materials are approved for classroom use.
The Minister stated that under the new system, the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) will continue to exercise its statutory authority to approve textbooks for use in Nigerian schools.
“But beyond approval, textbooks will now be ranked through a structured national evaluation process to determine the most suitable and highest-quality options for each subject and level of education,” he explained.
He said the NERDC has been asked to establish Standing Subject Committees, comprising experts in relevant subject areas, that will conduct rigorous reviews of textbooks submitted by publishers and evaluate them based on clearly defined academic and pedagogical standards.
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“Implementation of the policy will commence from the September 2026 academic session, following the establishment of the Standing Subject Committees, and completion of the evaluation framework.
“NERDC will continue its responsibility of licensing textbooks. However, any textbook that is not ranked under the new system will not be permitted for use in Nigerian schools, regardless of prior licensing status.
“Only a limited number of textbooks will be ranked and approved for use in schools for each subject, ensuring improved quality control and consistency in teaching and learning materials across the country,” he said.
The Minister said the ranking system would significantly reduce the excessive number of textbooks currently in circulation in many schools, which has often created confusion for teachers, students, and parents.
“The reform will further bring greater transparency, order and quality assurance into the textbook approval process, while aligning Nigeria’s education system with international best practices in instructional material standardisation,” he added.
He said the government would be communicating the new ranking policy to teachers and other key stakeholders in the education sector to ensure proper awareness and compliance with the new framework.
He reaffirmed that the reform forms part of broader efforts to strengthen the quality of education delivery, enhance learning outcomes, and ensure that Nigerian students are equipped with the best possible learning resources.
