The Federal Government of Nigeria has unveiled a National Textbook Ranking System aimed at improving quality and standardisation across primary and secondary schools.
The Federal Ministry of Education said the initiative is designed to curb the growing number of textbooks in circulation and ensure that only high-quality, curriculum-aligned materials are used in classrooms nationwide.
Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, and Minister of State for Education, Suwaiba Ahmad, explained that the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council will continue to approve textbooks but with an added layer of evaluation.
Under the new system, approved textbooks will be subjected to a national ranking process to determine the most suitable options for each subject and level.
The ministry noted that expert-led subject committees will assess textbooks using defined academic and teaching standards, with only top-ranked materials approved for use.
Textbooks that fail to make the ranking list will no longer be allowed in schools, regardless of prior approval.
The policy is expected to take effect in September 2026 following consultations and finalisation of the evaluation framework.
