FG Approves Downward Review Of Textbook Assessment, Ranking Fees

22nd July, 2026 | News

FG Reduces Textbook Assessment Fees Ahead of New National Ranking System

The Federal Government has approved a reduction in the fees charged for the assessment and ranking of textbooks as part of efforts to ease financial pressure on publishers and authors before the rollout of the National Textbook Ranking System.

The announcement was made by the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC), which said the assessment fee has been reduced from ₦2,000 to ₦1,500 per page, while the ranking fee has been lowered from ₦1 million to ₦750,000 per textbook title. The revised rates take effect immediately.

NERDC also confirmed that publishers who previously paid the old assessment fee will receive refunds for the excess amount, with details of the refund process to be announced later.

The fee reduction comes ahead of the implementation of the National Textbook Ranking System, scheduled to begin in September 2026. Under the new policy, only textbooks that have been assessed, approved, and officially ranked by NERDC will be authorised for use in Nigerian classrooms. Textbooks that fail to undergo the ranking process will no longer be permitted in schools.

The initiative, introduced by the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Alausa, is aimed at improving the quality of teaching and learning materials by ensuring that only curriculum-compliant and high-quality textbooks are used across the country’s education system.

Under the new framework, textbook approval alone will no longer be sufficient. Every approved title must also pass a national evaluation and ranking process conducted by expert panels before it can be recommended for classroom use.