Abuja, NIGERIA — The Federal Ministry of Education has announced the introduction of a National Textbook Ranking System for primary and secondary schools across the country.
The initiative, aimed at strengthening quality assurance and curriculum compliance, was officially unveiled by the Honourable Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, CON, and the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Sai’d Ahmad, on Sunday.
Under the new policy, the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) will move beyond its traditional role of mere approval to a structured ranking process.
Okay News reports that NERDC will establish Standing Subject Committees of experts to rigorously evaluate textbooks based on academic and pedagogical standards. Only a select number of top-ranked materials will be permitted for classroom use, effectively barring any textbooks that do not make the national ranking list.
The Federal Government stated that the move is designed to address the “proliferation” of substandard textbooks that have flooded the Nigerian education sector. This system will apply to Primary, Junior Secondary, and Senior Secondary Schools, ensuring a unified standard of learning nationwide. Officials clarified that any textbook not ranked by the new committee will be prohibited from schools, regardless of its previous licensing status.
Full implementation of the ranking system is scheduled to commence in September 2026, following extensive stakeholder engagements and the finalization of the evaluation framework. The Ministry of Education reaffirmed its commitment to improving learning outcomes and ensuring that Nigerian students have access to high-quality, standardized resources.
