FG National Textbook Ranking System: What Schools Need to Know

The Federal Government has announced a National Textbook Ranking System for primary, junior secondary and senior secondary schools in Nigeria.

The policy adds a structured national ranking process to the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council's (NERDC) existing responsibility for textbook approval and licensing. The government announcement was published on April 26, 2026.

What the ranking system changes

• NERDC will continue to approve and license textbooks.
• Standing subject committees will evaluate submitted textbooks using defined academic and pedagogical standards.
• Only a limited number of top-ranked textbooks will be approved for each subject and education level.
• Textbooks that are not ranked under the new system will not be permitted for use in Nigerian schools, regardless of earlier licensing.

When implementation begins

Implementation is expected to begin from the September 2026 academic session, after the standing subject committees are established and the evaluation framework is completed.

What schools and parents should watch

Schools, teachers, publishers and parents should look out for further official communication from the Federal Government and NERDC as the evaluation framework is finalised. The official announcement gives the September 2026 implementation timing, but it does not yet publish the final ranked textbook lists.

Official source

Read the Federal Government press release for the announcement and policy details.