Textbooks for Ranking: Comply with set guidelines, NERDC tells publishers, authors
By Uji A Iliyasu, Abuja
The Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) has called on stakeholders in the book industry to submit textbooks for assessment and ranking under the first phase of its 2026 exercise.
Executive Secretary of the Council, Prof. Salisu Shehu, disclosed this in a public notice issued on Thursday, saying the initiative aligns with a new Federal Ministry of Education’s policy to streamline book selection and approval processes.
Shehu urged publishers, authors, printers, distributors, and other players in the book sector to study the Book Quality Guidelines and Submission Procedure available on the Council’s website and comply strictly with the outlined requirements.
He explained that the 2026 assessment and ranking exercise would be conducted in three phases: Phase 1 covering Primary 1, Primary 4, JSS 1 and SS 1; Phase 2 covering Primary 2, Primary 5, JSS 2 and SS 2; and Phase 3 covering Primary 3, Primary 6, JSS 3 and SS 3.
Shehu noted that all textbooks, including those previously assessed for the target class levels, must be resubmitted, given new policy directions that have introduced ranking into the book approval process.
He said submissions for Phase 1 will open on June 8, 2026, and close on June 19, 2026, with books received after the deadline disqualified from the current phase.
He added that payment for the assessment and ranking exercise would follow a newly approved process detailed on the Council’s website.
NERDC stated that assessment and ranking of all submitted textbooks and instructional resources for Phase 1 would be concluded by July 31, 2026.