FG Approves National Textbook Ranking, Bans Unapproved Books in Public Schools

The Federal Government has approved a National Textbook Ranking System (NTRS) that will make it mandatory for only nationally evaluated and approved textbooks to be used in public primary, junior secondary and senior secondary schools from September 2026.

Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, said the policy marks a major reform aimed at improving the quality of teaching and learning by ensuring that schools use only high-quality, curriculum-compliant instructional materials.

According to a statement on Thursday by the Director of Press and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Education, Boriowo Folasade, the initiative introduces, for the first time, a transparent national framework for evaluating and approving textbooks in line with international best practices.

Alausa said the new system would strengthen curriculum implementation, improve learning outcomes, eliminate substandard textbooks and restore confidence in the country’s education system.

“The National Textbook Ranking System establishes a transparent, merit-based and quality-driven national framework that guarantees every learner access to credible, curriculum-aligned and high-quality learning resources,” he said.

Under the new policy, the minister explained that textbooks licensed by the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) will no longer qualify automatically for classroom use.

Instead, every licensed textbook must undergo a national assessment and ranking process conducted by a newly constituted National Textbook Ranking and Selection Committee before it can be approved for use in public schools.

The committee, made up of representatives of key education agencies and subject experts, will work with NERDC to evaluate textbooks against prescribed academic, pedagogical, technical and quality assurance standards.

To qualify for approval, each textbook must score at least 70 per cent in the national assessment.

The minister added that only the highest-ranked titles would be approved for classroom use, with between six and 10 textbooks selected for each subject depending on curriculum requirements.

He described the reform as part of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, noting that it would align Nigeria’s textbook approval process with global standards while promoting equity in access to quality learning materials.

In a move expected to ease the financial burden on publishers and authors, Alausa also announced reductions in assessment and ranking fees.

According to him, the assessment fee has been cut from **₦2,000 to ₦1,500 per page**, while the ranking fee has been reduced from **₦1 million to ₦750,000 per title**.

He disclosed that publishers and authors who had already paid the previous rates would receive refunds of the excess payments, with NERDC expected to communicate the reimbursement process.

Beginning from September 2026, only textbooks evaluated, ranked and approved under the National Textbook Ranking System will be authorised for use in public schools nationwide.

The minister said approved textbooks would remain valid for a minimum of three years to ensure stability and consistency in curriculum delivery.

He warned that schools, publishers and authors that fail to comply with the new policy risk sanctions, including blacklisting.

“The use of unapproved textbooks will attract sanctions, including the blacklisting of defaulting authors, publishers and schools,” he said.

The ministry said implementation of the policy would be monitored by NERDC and other relevant regulatory agencies, reaffirming the Federal Government’s commitment to providing Nigerian learners with world-class instructional materials capable of improving educational outcomes.