The Federal Government has introduced a new education policy designed to ease the financial burden on parents, enhance learning outcomes, and encourage sustainability through the use of durable, reusable textbooks in schools.
The framework was unveiled on Friday by the Minister of Education, Maruf Tunji Alausa, alongside the Minister of State for Education, Prof Suiwaba Sai’d, as part of broader reforms aimed at repositioning Nigeria’s education sector.
Under the policy, schools are to adopt standardised, high-quality textbooks with a lifespan of four to six years, while the practice of attaching disposable workbooks to textbooks has been expressly prohibited.
“This approach is intended to ensure that learning materials can be reused across multiple academic sessions,” the ministers said. They added that the policy would enable siblings to share textbooks, significantly reduce repeated education expenses for parents, and minimise waste within the school system.
As part of the reforms, the Federal Government has also implemented a uniform academic calendar to ensure nationwide consistency in teaching, learning, and school planning.
In addition, the ministers announced new guidelines regulating graduation ceremonies in schools, noting that the move is intended to further reduce financial pressure on families.
According to the guidelines, only pupils and students completing Primary 6, Junior Secondary School 3 (JSS3), and Senior Secondary School 3 (SSS3) will be allowed to hold graduation ceremonies.
They explained that the new policy strengthens the assessment, quality assurance, selection, and usage of textbooks and other instructional materials across the country.
The ministers said the reforms address long-standing concerns about frequent but superficial textbook revisions and practices that force parents to purchase new textbooks every year without meaningful improvements in content.
A major feature of the policy is the introduction of structured and purposeful revision cycles. “Under the new framework, textbook revisions must reflect substantive improvements in content rather than minor changes in layout or pagination, thereby extending the lifespan of approved textbooks and ensuring better value for money,” the ministers explained.
The policy also sets limits on the number of approved textbooks per subject and grade level, aligning Nigeria’s practices with international standards observed in countries such as Japan, Kenya, and Tanzania.
“This measure is expected to improve quality, reduce market saturation, and simplify textbook selection processes for schools and education authorities.”
They further stated that the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) will retain its central role in evaluating and assuring the quality of instructional materials, in collaboration with relevant agencies, to ensure that only curriculum-aligned textbooks are approved for use in schools.
Reaffirming the government’s commitment to education reform, the ministry commended the Universal Basic Education Commission, NERDC, and other technical partners for their contributions to the policy framework.
“The Federal Government remains resolved to safeguard educational standards, promote equity, reduce costs for parents, and ensure that learners across Nigeria have access to high-quality instructional materials that support effective teaching and learning outcomes,” the ministers said.
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