To reduce education costs for parents, especially amid current economic challenges, the Federal Government has banned non-reusable textbooks in schools nationwide.
The policy, introduced by the Federal Ministry of Education, mandates schools to adopt high-quality textbooks designed for reuse across multiple academic sessions, while ending the practice of frequent textbook changes that offer minimal content improvements but impose additional financial burdens on parents.
Jointly issued by the Minister of Education, Maruf Alausa, and the Minister of State for Education, Suwaba Sai’d, the policy aims to standardise textbook selection and usage, strengthen quality assurance, and eliminate practices that compel parents to purchase new learning materials annually without meaningful educational value.
Under the new guidelines, schools are required to adopt standardised and durable textbooks with a lifespan of four to six years.
The policy also expressly prohibits the bundling of disposable workbooks with textbooks, ensuring that instructional materials can be reused over several academic sessions.
According to the ministers, the initiative will allow siblings to share textbooks, significantly reduce recurring education costs for families, and minimise waste in the school system, thereby promoting environmental sustainability.
The Ministry also announced a streamlining of graduation ceremonies to ease unnecessary financial pressure on parents. Under the new directive, only pupils and students completing Primary 6, Junior Secondary School 3 (JSS3), and Senior Secondary School 3 (SSS3) are permitted to hold graduation ceremonies.
In a statement, the ministers explained that the reforms address longstanding concerns over frequent but cosmetic textbook revisions, weak ranking standards, and practices that force parents to buy new textbooks yearly without corresponding improvements in content or learning outcomes.
A key provision of the policy is the introduction of structured and meaningful revision cycles. Textbook updates must now reflect substantive improvements in content rather than minor changes in layout or pagination, extending the lifespan of approved materials and ensuring better value for money.
The policy also places limits on the number of approved textbooks per subject and grade level, in line with international best practices observed in countries such as Japan, Kenya, and Tanzania.
This measure is expected to improve quality, reduce market saturation, and simplify textbook selection for schools and education authorities.
The Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) will continue to play a central role in the assessment and quality assurance of instructional materials, working with relevant education agencies to ensure that only curriculum-aligned and high-quality textbooks are approved for use nationwide.
The Federal Ministry of Education reaffirmed its commitment to sustained education reform and commended the Universal Basic Education Commission, NERDC, and other technical partners for their contributions to the development of the new policy framework.
The ministers reiterated the Federal Government’s resolve to safeguard educational standards, promote equity and inclusiveness, reduce the financial burden on parents, and ensure that learners across Nigeria have access to quality instructional materials that support effective teaching and improved learning outcomes.
