Parents may soon spend less and face less confusion when selecting school textbooks, following the launch of a national Book Ranking and Selection Committee by the Federal Government of Nigeria. The initiative aims to improve the quality of instructional materials while reducing the financial burden on families across the country.
Speaking at the inauguration on Monday in Abuja, Tunji Alausa, Minister of Education, highlighted shortcomings in the current system, noting that textbooks were not properly validated or ranked before approval.
Your assignment is both timely and strategic. You are expected to critically review existing approval frameworks, recommend strengthened assessment instruments and ranking systems, define clear and enforceable quality benchmarks, and propose mechanisms that ensure genuine content improvement before new editions are approved.
You are also expected to address issues of pricing transparency, edition control, separation of textbooks from consumable workbooks, and protection of learners and parents from unnecessary financial burdens, he said.
Alausa explained that some subjects previously had as many as 50 approved books without clear quality benchmarks. He also criticised publishers for bundling workbooks and other consumables with core textbooks, a practice that forces parents to buy new books every year.
Under the new reforms, the committee will limit the number of approved textbooks per subject and introduce a transparent ranking system. This will help parents choose from quality books without confusion. Only seven textbooks per subject will be officially ranked for school selection, particularly under the Universal Basic Education Commission framework.
Once ranked, textbooks will remain in use for a minimum of three years, except where major curriculum or technological changes require updates. The committee will also focus on pricing transparency, edition control, and separating durable textbooks from consumables—measures aimed at protecting both learners and parents. Alausa further called on the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) to publicize the reforms and reassure parents.
The committee will be chaired by Suwaiba Ahmad, Minister of State for Education, and include members from key education agencies, including NERDC, UBEC, the National Teachers’ Institute, and the National Senior Secondary Education Commission.
This week, I inaugurated a strategic committee to strengthen and streamline the assessment, quality assurance, and selection of textbooks and instructional materials used in schools across Nigeria.
Quality learning materials are the backbone of effective education. We must move… pic.twitter.com/PLBHERlfWf
— Dr. Tunji Alausa (@DrTunjiAlausa) January 20, 2026
