From Victor Osula, Abuja
The Federal Government has inaugurated a High-Level Standing Committee on Book Ranking and Selection to sanitise and standardise textbooks and instructional materials used in Nigerian schools, particularly at the basic and senior secondary education levels.
The Minister of Education, Maruf Tunji Alausa, who inaugurated the committee, stated that the initiative was designed to restore integrity, credibility and value to Nigeria’s textbook ecosystem, which plays a critical role in teaching, learning and curriculum delivery.
Dr Alausa identified gaps in the existing textbook approval process, including the absence of a robust ranking and benchmarking system, frequent cosmetic revisions, 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 sector.
According to him, the committee will develop clear quality benchmarks, introduce a transparent and evidence-based ranking framework, separate textbooks from consumable workbooks, promote pricing transparency and ensure that new editions show substantive content improvement before approval.
The committee is chaired by the Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Sa’id Ahmad, with members drawn from key agencies such as the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC), Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), National Senior Secondary Education Commission (NSSEC) and the National Teachers’ Institute (NTI). NERDC will serve as the Secretariat.
Professor Ahmad said the initiative would deploy a transparent, technology-enabled framework to eliminate substandard materials, protect learners and parents, empower teachers and ensure value for public investment.
Stakeholders have commended the reform as a major step towards restoring quality, integrity and accountability in textbook development, in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
