The Federal Government has unveiled a sweeping reform of learning materials in Nigerian schools, announcing that from September 2026 only textbooks ranked under a new national system will be allowed in classrooms.

The policy centres on a National Textbook Ranking System for primary, junior and senior secondary schools, designed to tackle the widespread use of substandard and non‑curriculum‑compliant books. The Ministry of Education said the move is aimed at raising teaching standards, improving learning outcomes and ensuring greater uniformity in what pupils are taught across the country.

Under the new framework, the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council will continue to approve textbooks, but its role will now be tied to a more rigorous evaluation process. Once a book has met basic approval criteria, it will be subjected to a structured national ranking exercise to determine its suitability for each subject and class level.

To drive this process, the NERDC will set up Standing Subject Committees composed of subject specialists, curriculum experts and pedagogical researchers. These committees will assess textbooks against clearly defined benchmarks, including alignment with the national curriculum, accuracy of content, age appropriateness, clarity of language, cultural relevance and the quality of exercises and illustrations.

Only a limited number of top‑ranked textbooks will be endorsed for nationwide use in each subject. According to the ministry, this cap is intended to tighten quality control, reduce confusion among schools and parents, and curb the influence of unregulated publishers flooding the market with poorly produced materials.

A key provision of the policy is its blanket ban on unrated books. Any textbook that does not pass through the ranking system will be barred from classrooms, even if it previously held official approval or was widely used. Schools will be required to phase out such materials and adopt only those that appear on the national ranked list.

The ministry said the two‑year window before implementation will be used for consultations with state governments, school owners, teachers’ unions, publishers and other stakeholders, as well as for finalising the evaluation framework and training reviewers.

Officials insist the reform signals a renewed commitment by the Federal Government to standardise learning resources and give Nigerian pupils access to textbooks that genuinely support effective teaching and learning.