FG unveils school textbooks ranking system

The federal government has unveiled a nationwide textbook ranking system aimed at improving quality and standardisation across primary and secondary education.

Tunji Alausa, minister of education, disclosed this in a statement by Folasade Boriowo, director, press and public relations, federal ministry of education, on Monday in Abuja.

According to the ministry, the Nigerian educational research and development council will retain its statutory role of approving textbooks but will now go a step further by ranking them through a structured national evaluation process.

Alausa explained that expert-led standing subject committees will be constituted to rigorously assess submitted materials using clearly defined academic and pedagogical standards.

“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,” he said.

The reform is designed to tackle the growing number of textbooks in circulation, a situation the government says has created confusion for teachers, students and parents.

Under the new policy, only top-ranked textbooks will be approved for classroom use, while any material that fails to meet the new criteria will be phased out, regardless of previous approval status.

The government also plans to engage stakeholders across the education sector to ensure awareness and compliance.

Implementation of the ranking system is expected to begin from the September academic session, following the establishment of review committees and completion of the evaluation framework.