The Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) has called on stakeholders in the book industry to submit textbooks and instructional materials for assessment, reassessment, and ranking under the first phase of its 2026 evaluation exercise.
The Executive Secretary of NERDC, Prof. Salisu Shehu, made the announcement in a public notice issued on Thursday, stating that the exercise is in line with a new policy of the Federal Ministry of Education aimed at improving and streamlining the process of selecting and approving educational materials for schools.
Prof. Shehu urged publishers, authors, printers, distributors, and other participants in the book industry to familiarize themselves with the updated Book Quality Guidelines and Submission Procedure available on the Council’s website and comply fully with the new requirements.
According to him, the assessment and ranking exercise for 2026 will be conducted in three phases. Phase One will cover Primary 1, Primary 4, Junior Secondary School (JSS) 1, and Senior Secondary School (SS) 1 textbooks and instructional resources. Phase Two will focus on Primary 2, Primary 5, JSS 2, and SS 2, while Phase Three will cover Primary 3, Primary 6, JSS 3, and SS 3.
He explained that all textbooks intended for the specified class levels, including those previously assessed and approved, must be resubmitted for assessment or reassessment. This, he said, has become necessary due to the introduction of a ranking component in the book assessment and approval process.
“All textbooks that are to undergo the ranking process shall be assessed first based on the improved assessment process, standards, and newly approved benchmarks,” he stated.
The NERDC boss disclosed that submissions for Phase One will commence on June 8, 2026, and close on June 19, 2026. He warned that textbooks submitted after the deadline would not be considered for assessment and ranking under the phase.
Prof. Shehu further noted that payment for the assessment and ranking exercise would follow the newly approved procedures outlined in the Book Quality Guidelines and Submission Procedure.
The Council added that the assessment and ranking of all submitted textbooks and instructional resources under the first phase would be completed by July 31, 2026.
The initiative is expected to enhance the quality of educational materials used in Nigerian schools and ensure that only resources that meet approved standards are recommended for use in classrooms nationwide.
