The Federal Government has unveiled a new National Textbook Ranking System (NTRS), declaring that only nationally evaluated, ranked and approved textbooks will be permitted for use in public schools across Nigeria from September 2026.
The Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, announced the policy in Abuja, describing it as a major reform aimed at transforming the quality of learning and ensuring Nigerian students have access to credible, curriculum-aligned instructional materials.
Alausa said the initiative would establish a transparent, merit-based and quality-driven framework for selecting textbooks for public primary, junior secondary and senior secondary schools.
According to him, the system is designed to strengthen curriculum implementation, improve learning outcomes, promote equitable access to quality educational materials and eliminate the proliferation of substandard textbooks in Nigerian schools.
The Minister said the new framework would also help restore public confidence in the country’s education system and bring Nigeria’s textbook approval process in line with international best practices.
Under the new arrangement, the Federal Ministry of Education has constituted a National Textbook Ranking and Selection Committee comprising representatives of relevant education agencies and qualified experts.
The committee, working with the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC), will assess textbooks that have already met NERDC licensing requirements before recommending the best-performing titles to the Minister for final approval.
Alausa, however, clarified that obtaining a NERDC licence would no longer automatically qualify a textbook for classroom use.
He said every licensed textbook would have to undergo a rigorous national evaluation and ranking process, secure a minimum score of 70 per cent, and meet prescribed academic, pedagogical, technical and quality assurance standards.
Only the highest-ranked textbooks will subsequently be approved, with the number of titles adopted for each subject limited to between six and 10, depending on curriculum requirements.
The Minister also announced a reduction in assessment and ranking fees as part of measures to ease the financial burden on publishers and authors.
The assessment fee has been reduced from ₦2,000 to ₦1,500 per page, while the ranking fee has dropped from ₦1 million to ₦750,000 per title.
Publishers who had already paid the former rates will be refunded the excess amount, with NERDC expected to communicate details of the reimbursement process.
Alausa said the new policy would take effect in September 2026, when only textbooks evaluated, ranked and approved under the NTRS would be authorised for use in public schools nationwide
He added that approved textbooks would remain valid for a minimum of three years to provide stability and consistency in curriculum delivery.
The Federal Government also warned schools, publishers and other stakeholders against violating the new policy, saying implementation would be closely monitored by NERDC and other relevant regulatory agencies.
The use of unapproved textbooks, the Minister warned, would attract sanctions, including the blacklisting of defaulting authors, publishers and schools.
The Ministry said the reform underscored the administration’s commitment to ensuring that Nigerian learners have access to world-class instructional materials capable of improving teaching and learning outcomes and strengthening the country’s education system.
