By Michael Omotosho |
The Federal Government has approved the National Textbook Ranking System (NTRS), a new policy that will determine which textbooks can be used in public schools across Nigeria from September 2026.
The Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, announced the policy in Abuja, saying it is designed to improve the quality of learning materials and ensure that Nigerian students have access to credible and curriculum-aligned textbooks.
Under the new system, textbooks for public primary, junior secondary and senior secondary schools must be evaluated, ranked and approved before they can be used in classrooms.
Textbooks Must Score at Least 70%
Alausa said the policy will introduce a transparent and merit-based national framework for assessing textbooks and address the proliferation of substandard learning materials in schools.
He explained that while textbooks must first meet the licensing requirements of the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC), licensing alone will no longer be enough for a textbook to be approved for classroom use.
Every licensed textbook will undergo a national evaluation and ranking process and must score at least 70 per cent while meeting prescribed academic, pedagogical, technical and quality assurance standards.
“Only the best performing textbooks will be adopted,” the Minister said, adding that the number of approved titles for each subject will be limited to between six and 10, depending on curriculum requirements.
New Committee to Rank Textbooks
According to the Minister, the Ministry has established a National Textbook Ranking and Selection Committee made up of representatives from relevant education agencies and qualified experts.
The committee will work with NERDC to assess textbooks that have already met the Council’s licensing requirements before recommending the highest-ranked titles to the Minister for final approval.
Alausa said the system is expected to strengthen curriculum implementation, improve learning outcomes and promote equal access to quality instructional materials.
He also said the reform would help restore public confidence in the country’s education system by making the textbook selection process more transparent.
Government Reduces Textbook Assessment Fees
The Federal Government also announced a reduction in the fees publishers and authors will pay for textbook assessment and ranking.
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 previous fees will be refunded the excess amount, with NERDC expected to provide details of the reimbursement process.
New Rules Take Effect in September
The Minister said the new policy will take effect from September 2026, when only textbooks evaluated, ranked and approved under the NTRS will be authorised for use in public schools nationwide.
Approved textbooks will remain valid for a minimum of three years, a measure the Ministry said would provide stability and consistency in curriculum delivery.
The implementation will be monitored by NERDC and other relevant regulatory agencies.
Schools, publishers and other stakeholders are expected to comply with the policy, while the use of unapproved textbooks could attract sanctions, including the blacklisting of defaulting authors, publishers and schools.
The Ministry said the reform is part of the Federal Government’s broader commitment to improving teaching and learning and ensuring that Nigerian learners have access to world-class instructional materials.
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