….Vows to Ban Unranked Books
The federal government has rolled out a national ranking system for textbooks used in primary, junior and senior secondary schools, aiming to tackle the proliferation of substandard materials and ensure consistent quality nationwide.
The policy, announced by the Federal Ministry of Education on 26 April 2026, will see the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) continue to approve textbooks while subjecting them to a structured national ranking process based on rigorous academic and pedagogical criteria.
Only a limited number of top-ranked textbooks will be permitted for classroom use from September 2026, with any unranked titles barred from schools regardless of prior approval.
Education Minister Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa and Minister of State Prof. Suwaiba Sai’d Ahmad said the initiative addresses long-standing concerns over inconsistent quality and arbitrary book selections by schools.
Standing subject committees of experts will evaluate materials for curriculum compliance and teaching effectiveness, officials stated.
The move builds on reforms launched in January 2026, when the government inaugurated a high-level Book Ranking and Selection Committee, chaired by Prof. Suwaiba Sai’d Ahmad, with NERDC serving as secretariat.
That committee was tasked with developing quality benchmarks, introducing transparent ranking, separating durable textbooks from consumable workbooks, promoting pricing transparency, and ensuring new editions demonstrate genuine improvements rather than minor changes.
Under the framework, the number of officially ranked textbooks per subject is expected to be capped with indications of around seven per subject in some guidelines to reduce confusion for teachers, parents and pupils while delivering better value for money.
Ranked books are set to remain in use for a minimum of three years to ease the financial burden on families. The government also warned that textbooks not ranked will not be used.
“Under the policy, any textbook not ranked will not be permitted for use, regardless of prior licensing status. Implementation will commence from September 2026 following stakeholder engagement and completion of the evaluation framework” the minstry said.
Parents and educators have frequently complained about frequent and costly book changes that offer little added educational value.
NERDC will now lead further stakeholder engagements to finalise the evaluation framework ahead of the September 2026 implementation.
The government has reaffirmed its commitment to improving learning outcomes through access to high-quality, standardised educational resources.