The Federal Government has rolled out a fresh reform in Nigeria’s education sector, introducing a National Textbook Ranking System for primary, junior, and senior secondary schools. The move is set to change how textbooks are selected and used across the country.
The policy was announced by the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, together with the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaba Sai’d Ahmad. It is aimed at stopping the uncontrolled spread of textbooks in schools and making sure only high-quality and curriculum-approved materials are used in classrooms.
Under the new system, the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) will still approve textbooks as required by law. However, it will now also rank them through a strict national review process.
This ranking will help identify the best and most suitable textbooks for each subject and education level.
To carry out the process, NERDC will set up standing subject committees made up of experts in different fields. These committees will carefully review each textbook for academic quality, clarity, and how well it fits national education standards before giving rankings.
In a stronger quality control step, only a limited number of top-ranked textbooks will be allowed for use in schools for each subject. This is meant to reduce the large number of confusing materials currently in circulation.
The government also stated that any textbook not ranked under the new system will not be allowed in classrooms, even if it was previously approved.
The policy will begin from the September 2026 academic session, with nationwide awareness campaigns planned to guide teachers and other stakeholders.
Officials say the reform is in line with global standards and is aimed at improving learning outcomes, strengthening quality control, and giving students better and more reliable learning materials.
