The Federal Government has unveiled a new policy framework aimed at reducing the cost of education for parents, improving learning outcomes, and promoting environmental sustainability through the use of reusable, high-quality textbooks in schools across the country.
The policy, jointly issued by the Honourable Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, and the Honourable Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Sa’id, formed part of ongoing reforms to reposition Nigeria’s education sector and ease the financial burden on families.
Under the new framework, priority is placed on standardised and durable textbooks designed to last between four and six years. The policy expressly prohibits the bundling of disposable workbooks with textbooks, a practice that often forces parents to make repeated purchases annually. This approach is expected to enable textbooks to be reused across multiple academic sessions, allow siblings to share learning materials, significantly reduce recurring costs, and minimise waste in support of environmental sustainability.
The Ministers explained that the policy also addresses longstanding concerns over frequent cosmetic revisions of textbooks that do not translate into meaningful content improvements. Structured revision cycles have now been introduced to ensure that updates are based on substantive academic enhancements, while limits have been placed on the number of approved textbooks per subject and grade in line with international best practices.
In addition, the Federal Government has introduced a uniform academic calendar to ensure consistency in teaching, learning, and school planning nationwide. Graduation ceremonies have also been streamlined, with only pupils and students completing Primary 6, Junior Secondary School 3 (JSS3), and Senior Secondary School 3 (SSS3) permitted to hold such ceremonies.
The policy further strengthened mechanisms for the assessment, selection, and quality assurance of instructional materials. The Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) will continue to play a leading role in textbook evaluation and quality assurance.
Reaffirming its commitment to education reform, equity, and access, the Federal Ministry of Education stated that the new measures are designed to ensure the availability of high-quality instructional materials while making education more affordable and sustainable for Nigerian families.
