The Federal Government of Nigeria has unveiled a landmark policy aimed at reducing the cost of education for families, improving learning outcomes, and promoting environmental sustainability through the adoption of reusable textbooks.
Jointly issued by Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, the minister of Education, and Professor Suwaiba Sa’id, the minister of State for Education, the policy introduces durable, high-quality textbooks designed to last four to six years.
According to the joint statement signed by Boriowo Folasade, director, Press and Public Relations at the Ministry, the policy also bans the bundling of disposable workbooks with textbooks, allowing materials to be shared among siblings and reused across academic sessions.
This initiative is expected to significantly lower recurring costs for parents while reducing school waste.
In addition, the policy establishes a uniform academic calendar to ensure consistency in teaching and learning nationwide.
Graduation ceremonies are now streamlined, limited to students completing Primary 6, JSS3, and SSS3.
The policy also strengthens the assessment, selection, and quality assurance of instructional materials.
Structured revision cycles will ensure only substantive content improvements are made, while limits on the number of approved textbooks per subject align with international best practices.
This addresses concerns about frequent, cosmetic textbook revisions that previously forced parents to purchase new books annually without meaningful updates.
The Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) will continue to oversee textbook quality assurance, while the Federal Ministry of Education reaffirms its commitment to equitable access to high-quality learning materials and comprehensive education reform across the country.
