In a major policy shift aimed at improving the quality of education across the country, the Federal Government has unveiled a National Textbook Ranking System for primary, junior, and senior secondary schools. The reform is expected to significantly reshape how instructional materials are selected, approved, and used in classrooms nationwide.
The initiative was introduced by the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, alongside the Minister of State for Education, Suwaba Sai’d Ahmad. According to the government, the new system is designed to address the long-standing issue of excessive and often inconsistent textbooks in circulation, which has created confusion among teachers, students, and parents.
At the centre of the reform is the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council, which will continue its traditional role of approving textbooks. However, under the new framework, the council will now also rank approved books through a comprehensive national evaluation process. This added layer of scrutiny is intended to ensure that only the most relevant, accurate, and curriculum-aligned materials are recommended for use in schools.
To carry out this task, NERDC will establish standing subject-based committees made up of seasoned academics, education experts, and industry professionals. These committees will carefully assess submitted textbooks based on several criteria, including content quality, clarity of presentation, pedagogical effectiveness, and alignment with national curriculum standards. Each textbook will then be graded and ranked accordingly.
In a decisive effort to enforce quality control, the government has stated that only a limited number of top-ranked textbooks will be approved for each subject at every level of education. This means that many existing textbooks currently in use may no longer make the cut, as the policy aims to eliminate substandard or redundant materials from the system.
Furthermore, any textbook that does not go through the ranking process or fails to meet the required standards will be disqualified from classroom use, regardless of whether it had previously been approved. This marks a firm stance by the government to restore order and credibility to the nation’s learning materials.
The new policy is scheduled to take effect from the September 2026 academic session. Ahead of its rollout, the government plans to embark on extensive nationwide sensitisation campaigns to educate teachers, school administrators, publishers, and other stakeholders on the new guidelines and ensure smooth implementation.
Officials say the reform aligns with international best practices in educational resource standardisation and forms part of a broader strategy to strengthen Nigeria’s education system. By prioritising high-quality, well-reviewed textbooks, the government aims to enhance learning outcomes, improve teaching efficiency, and provide students with reliable and effective academic resources.
Overall, the introduction of the National Textbook Ranking System signals a bold step toward restructuring the educational landscape, with a clear focus on quality, consistency, and improved academic performance across all levels of basic education.
Post comments (0)