By our Reporter
The Federal Government has inaugurated a High-Level Standing Committee on Book Ranking and Selection to strengthen quality assurance, transparency, and standardisation of textbooks and instructional materials used in Nigerian schools, particularly at the basic and senior secondary education levels.
Inaugurating the Committee, the Honourable Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, CON, described the initiative as a decisive reform to restore integrity, credibility, and value to Nigeria’s textbook ecosystem, which plays a critical role in teaching, learning, and curriculum delivery.
The Minister identified key gaps in the current textbook approval process, including the absence of a robust ranking and benchmarking system, frequent cosmetic revisions, the bundling of consumable workbooks with core textbooks, and high costs that place unnecessary financial burdens on parents. He noted that these practices undermine affordability, equity, and public confidence in the education system.
According to Dr. Alausa, the Committee is mandated to develop clear quality benchmarks, introduce a transparent and evidence-based ranking system, separate textbooks from consumable workbooks, promote pricing transparency, and ensure that new editions demonstrate substantive content improvement before approval.
The Committee is chaired by the Honourable Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Sa’id Ahmad, with membership drawn from the Federal Ministry of Education and key agencies, including NERDC, UBEC, NSSEC, and NTI. NERDC will serve as Secretariat.
Professor Ahmad stated that the initiative introduces a transparent, technology-enabled framework to eliminate substandard materials, protect learners and parents, empower teachers, and ensure value for public investment. Stakeholders commended the reform as a critical step toward restoring quality, integrity, and accountability in textbook development, in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
