As for “private institutions are strongly urged”, what an admission of failure. Private schools will use the best content available, because paying parents demand excellence, not administrative convenience.

Per previous coverage, Nigeria’s Federal Government is enforcing a National Textbook Ranking System from the 2026/27 academic session. Hereon, only titles that clear a fresh national evaluation will enter public primary and secondary classrooms. NERDC licensing, once sufficient, is now merely the entry ticket.

How the Ranking Works

Every instructional resource must secure a minimum 70% score against academic, pedagogical, technical and quality-assurance criteria. Standing subject committees of experts, convened by the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC), will rank submissions. The final approved list is capped at 6-10 titles per subject to end market overcrowding. Ranked books remain standard for a minimum of 3 years, offering curriculum stability.

Enforcement and Sanctions

Unranked materials are banned in all public schools. Monitoring teams from the Federal Ministry of Education and NERDC will identify violations. Schools, authors and publishing houses found using or distributing unapproved books face immediate blacklisting. Private institutions are strongly urged to adopt the same standards for national consistency.

Industry Implications and Adjustments

The policy responds to years of proliferation of substandard textbooks. (I can vouch for that from here in The Gambia where many schools use Nigerian imports because the locally produced content is woefully inadequate. Primary textbooks last revised 2006 and 2008.)

In a concession to publishers, assessment fees dropped from ₦2,000 to ₦1,500 per page and ranking fees from ₦1 million to ₦750,000 per title, with refunds for earlier higher payments, favouring wealthier publishers.

Phase-one submissions for selected primary and secondary levels closed in June 2026, with rankings completed by late July.

The Nigerian Publishers Association has challenged the compulsory re-ranking of previously approved titles in the Federal High Court, questioning NERDC’s statutory authority and the extra financial burden. The outcome remains pending as enforcement begins.

The View From The Beach

Success now hinges on content excellence rather than volume. Houses must align tightly with curriculum standards, invest in rigorous internal quality checks, and prepare for multi-year commitment once ranked. Those outside the elite list lose access to the large public-school market. The reform aims to raise learning outcomes and global competitiveness, yet it concentrates commercial opportunity among fewer titles and raises the bar for market entry.

As for “private institutions are strongly urged”, what an admission of failure. Private schools will use the best content available, because paying parents demand excellence, not administrative convenience.

Nigeria, seriously, this is a well-intentioned move that is going to backfire spectacularly.

This post first appeared in the TNPS LinkedIn newsfeed.