By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola
The Federal Government has approved the National Textbook Ranking System, a policy that will bar public primary, junior secondary and senior secondary schools across Nigeria from using any textbook that has not been nationally ranked and approved, with the new regime taking effect from September 2026.
The Minister of Education, Maruf Tunji Alausa, announced the approval on Tuesday, 4 August, 2026 in Abuja, describing the initiative as a transformative policy that will revolutionise the selection and deployment of instructional materials in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.
He said the system establishes, for the first time, a transparent, merit-based and quality-driven national framework that aligns Nigeria’s textbook approval process with international best practices, while guaranteeing every learner access to credible, curriculum-aligned and high-quality learning resources.
According to Alausa, the ranking system will strengthen curriculum implementation, improve learning outcomes, promote equity in access to quality instructional materials, eliminate the proliferation of substandard textbooks and restore public confidence in the nation’s education system.
The Minister disclosed that the ministry has constituted a National Textbook Ranking and Selection Committee comprising representatives of relevant education agencies and qualified experts.
Working closely with the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council, he said the committee will assess only textbooks that have successfully met NERDC licensing requirements before recommending the highest-ranked titles for his approval.
He explained that under the new policy, NERDC licensing alone will no longer qualify a textbook for classroom use, as every licensed textbook must now undergo a rigorous national evaluation and ranking process, attain a minimum score of 70 per cent, and satisfy prescribed academic, pedagogical, technical and quality assurance standards before approval.
He added that only the best-performing textbooks will be adopted, with approved titles for each subject limited to between six and ten, depending on curriculum requirements.
In what he described as a major relief for publishers and authors, Alausa announced that NERDC has approved a reduction in assessment and ranking fees.
The assessment fee has been reduced from ₦2,000 to ₦1,500 per page, while the ranking fee has been reviewed downward from ₦1 million to ₦750,000 per title.
He said publishers who had previously paid the former rates would receive refunds of the excess payments, with reimbursement arrangements to be communicated by the council.
The Minister said that from September 2026, only textbooks evaluated, ranked and approved under the new system will be authorised for use in public schools nationwide, adding that approved textbooks will remain valid for a minimum of three years to ensure stability and consistency in curriculum delivery.
He noted that implementation of the policy would be closely monitored through NERDC and other relevant regulatory agencies, with schools, publishers and other stakeholders expected to comply fully.
The use of unapproved textbooks, he warned, will attract sanctions, including the blacklisting of defaulting authors, publishers and schools.
The ministry reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to providing every Nigerian learner with world-class instructional materials that promote excellence in teaching and learning, improve educational outcomes and strengthen the nation’s education system.
