Nigeria Reforms Textbook Approval Process

The Federal Government of Nigeria, through its Nigeria — Federal Ministry of Interior (Nigeria), has inaugurated a Book Ranking and Selection Committee. Led by Minister Tunji Alausa and chaired by Minister of State Suwaiba Ahmed, the committee aims to reform the existing textbook approval process. The government criticized the current system for allowing poor-quality materials, lack of standardization, and excessive financial burdens on parents due to practices like bundling workbooks with core textbooks. The new reforms will cap the number of officially ranked textbooks per subject to seven, ensure transparent and objective ranking, and protect learners and parents from exploitative practices. Key education agencies like the Nigeria — Raw Materials Research and Development Council and Nigeria — Universal Basic Education Commission (Nigeria) are part of the committee, which will also address pricing transparency and edition control. Textbooks, once ranked, will remain in use for a minimum of three years.