The Federal Government has rolled out a new system to rank textbooks used in Nigerian schools, in what authorities described as a decisive move to clean up the learning space and enforce uniform standards.
Details of the policy were made public in a statement issued on April 26 2026, via the official page of the Federal Ministry of Education.
According to the ministry, the initiative, known as the National Textbook Ranking System, will apply across primary, junior and senior secondary schools, with the aim of ensuring that only vetted, curriculum-compliant materials make it into classrooms.
Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, alongside Minister of State for Education, Suwaiba Sai’d Ahmad, explained that while the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council will continue to approve textbooks, a new layer of scrutiny has now been introduced.
Under the arrangement, approved books will be subjected to a nationwide ranking process to determine the most suitable options for each subject and level.
“Only a limited number of top-ranked textbooks will be approved,” the ministry stated, noting that the move is designed to improve quality control and eliminate inconsistencies in teaching materials.
To drive the process, the NERDC is expected to set up subject-based committees made up of education experts who will assess textbooks using clearly defined academic and instructional benchmarks.
In a significant shift, the government stressed that any textbook that fails to make the ranking list will no longer be allowed in schools, regardless of previous approval status.
The policy is scheduled to take effect from September 2026 after consultations with stakeholders and finalisation of the evaluation framework.
Authorities say the reform is part of broader efforts to improve learning outcomes and ensure that students across the country have access to reliable and standardised educational content.