The Federal Government has introduced a comprehensive policy framework designed to lower the cost of education for parents while enhancing learning outcomes.
The policy also aims to promote sustainability in schools through the use of reusable, high-quality textbooks and stronger quality assurance measures.
Jointly issued by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, and the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmed, the framework was presented to journalists in Abuja on Friday.
The ministers explained that the policy is part of ongoing efforts to reform the education sector and ease the financial burden on families. It emphasizes the use of standardized, durable textbooks intended to last four to six years and prohibits the bundling of disposable workbooks with textbooks in schools.
This approach allows learning materials to be reused over multiple academic sessions, enables siblings to share textbooks, lowers recurring education costs, and reduces waste, thereby supporting environmental sustainability.
As part of broader reforms, 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 to reduce financial pressure on parents, with only pupils completing Primary Six, Junior Secondary School 3, and Senior Secondary School 3 eligible to hold such ceremonies.
The policy also strengthens the assessment, quality assurance, selection, and use of textbooks and instructional materials across the country. It addresses longstanding concerns about frequent cosmetic textbook revisions, weak ranking standards, and practices that forced parents to buy new textbooks annually without significant content improvements.
A key provision introduces structured revision cycles, ensuring that textbook updates reflect substantive improvements in content rather than minor layout changes. The policy also limits the number of approved textbooks per subject and grade, following international best practices from countries like Japan, Kenya, and Tanzania.
The Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) will continue to play a central role in assessing and ensuring the quality of instructional materials, working with relevant education agencies to approve only curriculum-aligned textbooks for use in schools.
The ministers reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to education reform, commending the Universal Basic Education Commission, NERDC, and other technical partners for their contributions. They emphasized the government’s resolve to uphold educational standards, promote equity, reduce costs for parents, and guarantee access to quality instructional materials nationwide.