The Federal Government has inaugurated a High-Level Standing Committee on Book Ranking and Selection, aimed at strengthening quality assurance, transparency, and standardisation of textbooks and instructional materials used in Nigerian schools, especially at the basic and senior secondary education levels.
Boriowo Folasade, Director, Press and Public Relations in a statement said the committee was inaugurated by the Honourable Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, CON, who described the initiative as a decisive reform designed to restore integrity, credibility, and value to Nigeria’s textbook ecosystem.
Dr. Alausa highlighted several challenges affecting the current textbook approval process, including the absence of a robust ranking and benchmarking system, frequent cosmetic revisions, and the practice of bundling consumable workbooks with core textbooks.
He also noted the high cost of textbooks, which places an unnecessary financial burden on parents and undermines affordability, equity, and public confidence in the education system.
He explained that the new committee will be tasked with developing clear quality benchmarks and introducing a transparent, evidence-based ranking system. The committee will also work to 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, and includes members from the Federal Ministry of Education and key agencies such as NERDC, UBEC, NSSEC, and NTI. The NERDC will serve as the committee’s secretariat.
Professor Ahmad said the initiative will introduce a transparent, technology-enabled framework to eliminate substandard materials, protect learners and parents, empower teachers, and ensure value for public investment.
