The Federal Ministry of Education in Nigeria has unveiled the final list of approved textbooks for primary and secondary schools for the 2026-2028 academic years. This development comes as the government continues to implement its textbook ranking policy despite opposition from publishers. The policy, introduced to ensure access to quality and curriculum-aligned instructional materials, has been met with resistance from the Nigerian Publishers Association (NPA).
The NPA had rejected the policy, describing it as "obnoxious" and citing concerns over the financial burden it places on publishers and its potential impact on competition. In August 2026, the association filed a suit at the Federal High Court, Ibadan, against the Federal Government and the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC), challenging the council's authority to rank textbooks that had already received approval.
Despite the pending litigation, the ministry has proceeded with the first phase of the ranking exercise and released the approved list for Primary 1, Primary 4, Junior Secondary School 1 (JSS 1), and Senior Secondary School 1 (SS 1). Each approved title now carries a unique Ranking/QR Tracking Code, alongside its title, author or authors, publisher, and year of publication.
The ministry said the codes are intended to facilitate identification, monitoring, and tracking of approved instructional materials. The exercise was conducted under the leadership of the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, and the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Sa'id Ahmad, with the final list receiving ministerial approval.
The ministry attributed the time required to complete and validate the final lists to the additional process of generating and assigning the unique codes. The ranking exercise is being implemented in phases, with the second phase set to cover textbooks for Primary 2, Primary 5, JSS 2, and SS 2. The same ranking and tracking measures will be applied in the second phase.
The ministry has urged publishers, schools, education authorities, and procurement agencies to consult the official approved list when selecting and procuring textbooks for the affected classes. This, according to the ministry, is part of efforts to ensure access to quality, relevant, and curriculum-aligned instructional materials while improving transparency and accountability in textbook provision.
The implementation of the ranking policy and the use of QR-based tracking codes are expected to bring about significant changes in the textbook provision process in Nigeria. The policy aims to ensure that only approved and relevant textbooks are used in schools, which could potentially improve the quality of education.
Key points
- The Nigerian government has released a list of approved textbooks for primary and secondary schools for the 2026-2028 academic years.
- The approved textbooks now carry a unique Ranking/QR Tracking Code to facilitate identification and monitoring.
- The policy has faced opposition from publishers, who cite concerns over financial burden and potential impact on competition.
