Federal Government Mandates National Ranking for School Textbooks to Eliminate Substandard Educational Materials

Education Minister Dr. Tunji Alausa announces a national ranking system for textbooks. Unranked books will be banned from Nigerian schools by September 2026.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 27, 2026, 5:14 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from GUARDIAN Newspapers

A New Framework for Educational Standards

The Federal Government of Nigeria has launched a comprehensive national ranking system for textbooks across primary, junior, and senior secondary levels to address the proliferation of substandard learning materials. Announced by the Federal Ministry of Education on April 26, 2026, the policy introduces a structured evaluation process intended to ensure nationwide pedagogical consistency. Under this new directive, the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) will maintain its role in textbook approval but will now subject all materials to a rigorous ranking process based on academic and instructional criteria.

Strict Prohibition of Unranked Titles

A central component of this reform is the enforcement of a strict ban on any educational material that fails to achieve a national ranking. Education Minister Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa and Minister of State Prof. Suwaiba Sai’d Ahmad emphasized that from the start of the September 2026 academic session, only a limited number of top-tier textbooks will be authorized for school use. The government has explicitly warned that any title not included in the official rankings will be barred from classrooms, effectively revoking the status of previously approved but lower-quality publications.

Expert Committees and Quality Benchmarks

The evaluation of these materials will be handled by standing subject committees composed of academic experts. These committees are tasked with assessing books for curriculum compliance and overall teaching effectiveness. This initiative follows the January 2026 inauguration of a high-level Book Ranking and Selection Committee, chaired by Prof. Ahmad, which was mandated to develop transparent quality benchmarks. These benchmarks include the separation of durable textbooks from consumable workbooks and a requirement that new editions demonstrate significant educational improvements rather than cosmetic changes.