The Federal Ministry of Education has released the final list of Ranked and Approved Textbooks for 2026–2028.
The government also introduced unique QR-based tracking codes for approved titles.
The release comes amid an unresolved legal challenge to the government’s textbook ranking policy, which has faced opposition from publishers since its introduction.
The Nigerian Publishers Association (NPA) had rejected the policy, describing it as “obnoxious” and raising concerns over the financial burden it places on publishers and its potential impact on competition.
In August 2026, the association filed a suit at the Federal High Court, Ibadan, against the Federal Government and the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC), challenging, among other issues, NERDC’s authority to rank textbooks that had already received approval.
Despite the pending litigation, the ministry has proceeded with the first phase of the ranking exercise and released the approved list for Primary 1, Primary 4, Junior Secondary School 1 (JSS 1) and Senior Secondary School 1 (SS 1).
Each approved title now carries a unique Ranking/QR Tracking Code, alongside its title, author or authors, publisher and year of publication.
The ministry said the codes are intended to facilitate identification, monitoring and tracking of approved instructional materials.
The exercise was conducted under the leadership of the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, and the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Sa’id Ahmad, with the final list receiving ministerial approval.
The ministry said the additional process of generating and assigning the unique codes contributed to the time required to complete and validate the final lists.
The ranking exercise is being implemented in phases. The second phase will cover textbooks for Primary 2, Primary 5, JSS 2 and SS 2, with the same ranking and tracking measures to be applied.
The ministry urged publishers, schools, education authorities and procurement agencies to consult the official approved list when selecting and procuring textbooks for the affected classes.
It said the exercise was part of efforts to ensure access to quality, relevant and curriculum-aligned instructional materials while improving transparency and accountability in textbook provision.
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