By James Akinlade, Abuja
In a major reform aimed at improving the quality of education in Nigeria, the Federal Government has unveiled a National Textbook Ranking System for primary, junior, and senior secondary schools.
The initiative, announced by the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, alongside the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaba Sai’d Ahmad, seeks to curb the proliferation of substandard textbooks and ensure only high-quality, curriculum-compliant materials are used in schools.
Under the new policy, the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) will not only approve textbooks but also rank them based on rigorous national evaluation standards.
The ranking process will be handled by Standing Subject Committees comprising experts across various disciplines, who will assess textbooks for academic quality, clarity, relevance, and alignment with national curricula.
Only top-ranked textbooks will be approved for use in each subject, effectively reducing the number of materials available and eliminating confusion among teachers, students, and parents.
The government further declared that any textbook not included in the ranking system would be barred from classrooms, regardless of prior approval.
The policy is scheduled to take effect from the September 2026 academic session and will be supported by nationwide sensitisation campaigns targeting educators and stakeholders.
Officials said the reform aligns Nigeria with global best practices and is part of broader efforts to enhance learning outcomes and strengthen quality assurance in the education sector
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