By Bala Yuguda
The Federal Government has introduced a national textbook ranking system for primary, junior secondary, and senior secondary schools in a sweeping reform aimed at tightening quality control in Nigeria’s education sector. Officials say the policy is designed to eliminate substandard learning materials and streamline what students study nationwide.
The statement made by the Federal Ministry of Education through its Director of Press and Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade on Sunday revealed the ministry initiative targets the proliferation of textbooks and inconsistent instructional standards across schools. It specified that the reform will ensure that only curriculum-aligned and high-quality textbooks are approved for classroom use.
It added that the policy is intended to improve learning outcomes and strengthen national standardization across all education levels. The Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council will continue its statutory role of approving textbooks under the national curriculum framework.
However, it will now operate within a new structured ranking model to assess and prioritise approved materials. Education Minister Tunji Alausa said the reform responds to long-standing weaknesses in the approval system.
He noted that some subjects previously had dozens of approved textbooks without clear quality differentiation or ranking benchmarks. Under the new system, subject-based expert committees will be established to evaluate textbooks using defined academic and pedagogical criteria.
The process is expected to introduce stricter oversight and limit the number of books recommended per subject.Officials say only top-ranked textbooks will be selected for classroom use, reducing the volume of competing materials.
The government argues this will help teachers and students focus on more consistent and reliable instructional content.The policy also introduces a mechanism to exclude textbooks that fail to meet ranking thresholds.
Authorities say unranked materials will not be permitted in schools, regardless of prior approval status.The reform is scheduled for implementation beginning in September 2026, following stakeholder consultations and completion of the evaluation framework.
The ministry says educators, publishers, and administrators will be engaged ahead of rollout.Government officials link the policy to broader efforts to address systemic issues in textbook production, including uneven quality and duplication.
They say the goal is to create a more predictable learning environment across public and private schools.
The reform follows earlier efforts by the ministry to restructure textbook approval processes. In January 2026, the government inaugurated a committee to review and strengthen selection standards amid concerns about inconsistent quality control.
Officials said the previous system allowed too many approved textbooks per subject, sometimes up to 50, creating confusion and uneven teaching standards nationwide.
The ministry also raised concerns about exploitative publishing practices, including bundled workbooks that increased costs for parents. It said the new framework would help reduce financial pressure on families while improving content quality.
Under the reform architecture, evaluation committees will apply standardized benchmarks to ensure textbooks align with national curriculum expectations. The ministry says this will improve clarity in teaching delivery and reduce inconsistencies between schools.
Education stakeholders are expected to participate in consultations ahead of implementation. The government says feedback will be integrated into the final ranking framework to ensure sector-wide acceptance.
The policy aligns with broader national education reforms aimed at improving literacy outcomes and instructional quality. Officials say the long-term objective is to strengthen foundational learning across Nigeria’s basic and secondary education system.
The Federal Government says the ranking system represents a structural shift in how educational content is regulated. It maintains that tighter controls will enhance accountability across publishers and improve the overall quality of learning materials in classrooms.
