FG Introduces Reusable Textbooks, Uniform School Calendar to Cut Education Costs

Federal Government (FG) has rolled out a new policy to reduce education costs, enhance learning outcomes, and promote environmental sustainability through the nationwide adoption of reusable textbooks.

Jointly announced by Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Olatunji Alausa, and Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Sa’id, the policy introduces durable, high-quality textbooks designed to last four to six years, according to a statement signed by Boriowo Folasade, Director, Press and Public Relations at the ministry.

The policy bans the bundling of disposable workbooks with textbooks, enabling books to be shared among siblings and reused across academic sessions, a move expected to significantly cut recurring expenses for parents and reduce school-generated waste.

It also establishes a uniform academic calendar across the country and streamlines graduation ceremonies to terminal classes only, limiting them to Primary 6, JSS 3, and SSS 3.

Furthermore, the policy tightens assessment, selection, and quality assurance processes for instructional materials, introduces structured revision cycles to ensure only substantive content changes are made, and limits the number of approved textbooks per subject in line with international best practices.

These measures are aimed at ending frequent, cosmetic textbook revisions that compel parents to buy new books annually without meaningful improvements, while the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) will continue to oversee textbook quality assurance as the Federal Ministry of Education pursues broader education reforms.