Education Relief: Federal Government Reduces Textbook Approval Charges

According to Ireporter Online, the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) announced the reduction and directed that publishers who had already paid the previous charges should receive refunds for the excess amount.

The development was disclosed in a statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday and signed by the NERDC Executive Secretary, Professor Salisu Shehu.

Under the revised arrangement, the textbook assessment fee has been reduced from ₦2,000 to ₦1,500 per page, while the ranking fee for each textbook title submitted for evaluation has been cut from ₦1 million to ₦750,000.

The council explained that the new rates would take immediate effect and were introduced to ease the financial burden on authors and publishers participating in the textbook evaluation process.

NERDC also stated that publishers who paid under the former pricing structure would be refunded the difference between the previous and current charges, adding that details on the refund process would be communicated soon.

The council urged publishers and authors submitting materials for evaluation to adopt the new payment structure and comply with the updated guidelines.

The fee adjustment comes ahead of the planned implementation of the National Textbook Ranking System, scheduled to begin in September 2026.

The initiative, introduced by the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, is aimed at improving the quality of instructional materials used in Nigerian schools and ensuring that only textbooks that meet national standards are recommended for classroom use.

Under the new policy, textbooks must undergo assessment, approval and ranking by NERDC before they can be adopted by schools nationwide.

The Federal Government said the system was designed to tackle the circulation of poor-quality learning materials and promote the use of textbooks that align with the national curriculum.

Alausa explained that while NERDC would continue to approve textbooks, approval alone would no longer be enough for a book to qualify for use in schools, as every approved material would also undergo a ranking process by professional evaluation committees.

The textbook ranking initiative forms part of broader education reforms under the Renewed Hope Agenda, including improved learning assessments, digital education expansion and efforts to reduce learning challenges among Nigerian children.

Education stakeholders said the new ranking system would strengthen quality control, encourage publishers to produce better materials and ensure students and teachers have access to more reliable learning resources.