The Federal Government has introduced a new policy to reduce education costs for Nigerian families while promoting sustainability through the use of durable, reusable textbooks in schools.

The policy was jointly announced on Friday, January 9, 2025, by the Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, and the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaba Sai’d, as part of ongoing reforms in the education sector.

Under the framework, schools are required to adopt standardised, high-quality textbooks designed to last four to six years, while the practice of bundling disposable workbooks with textbooks is prohibited.

The ministers said the move would allow siblings to share books and ease the recurring financial burden on parents.

“This policy is about value for money, quality learning, and fairness to parents,” the ministers said, noting that frequent cosmetic textbook changes had forced families to buy new books yearly without real academic benefit.

The policy also introduces structured revision cycles, limiting textbook updates to meaningful content improvements rather than minor design changes.

In addition, the number of approved textbooks per subject and grade will be capped in line with global best practices.

As part of the reforms, the government has streamlined graduation ceremonies, restricting them to pupils completing Primary 6, JSS3, and SSS3, and adopted a uniform academic calendar nationwide.

The Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) will oversee textbook assessment and quality assurance to ensure alignment with the national curriculum.

Officials say the reforms aim to protect education standards, cut household costs, and improve learning outcomes across Nigeria.