The Federal Government has unveiled a national textbook ranking system for primary, junior, and senior secondary schools as part of efforts to enhance quality assurance and standardisation across Nigeria’s education sector.

Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, disclosed the initiative on Monday, noting that it is designed to address the widespread proliferation of textbooks and ensure that only high-quality, curriculum-compliant materials are used in classrooms.

According to the minister, the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) will continue its statutory role of approving textbooks. However, under the new framework, approved books will now undergo a structured national evaluation process to determine their quality and suitability.

As part of the reform, NERDC will establish Standing Subject Committees made up of experts across various disciplines. These committees will conduct detailed reviews of submitted textbooks, assessing them based on clearly defined academic and pedagogical standards before ranking them.

Only a limited number of top-rated textbooks for each subject and level will be approved for use in schools, a move the government says will eliminate confusion caused by the excessive number of materials currently in circulation.

“The ranking system will introduce transparency, order and quality assurance into the textbook approval process while aligning Nigeria’s education system with international best practices,” Alausa said.

He further stated that any textbook not ranked under the new system would no longer be permitted in Nigerian schools, regardless of any prior approval it may have received.

The government plans to engage teachers and other key stakeholders to ensure proper awareness and compliance with the new policy. Implementation is expected to begin in the September academic session, following the establishment of the committees and completion of the evaluation framework.