Textbook ranking system: Let the national conversation begin
The federal government’s recent introduction of a National Textbook Ranking System has sparked fresh debate within Nigeria’s education sector. On the surface, the initiative appears commendable. Any policy aimed at
- By Moshood Oshunfurewa
The federal government’s recent introduction of a National Textbook Ranking System has sparked fresh debate within Nigeria’s education sector. On the surface, the initiative appears commendable. Any policy aimed at improving the quality of textbooks in our schools deserves careful consideration and, where appropriate, support. However, while ranking textbooks may create the appearance of reform, it does not address the deeper and more urgent issue confronting our education system - the persistent failure to guarantee quality content.
This conversation became even more pressing following the emotional outcry of a Nigerian mother who recently exposed troubling content in a textbook being used in a school. Her distress was not merely about one offensive publication; it reflected a wider systemic failure. That textbook had an ISBN number, passed through the National Library, navigated several layers of educational bureaucracy, was printed, distributed, and eventually adopted by schools. At every stage where scrutiny should have occurred, the system failed.
This raises a fundamental question: If existing quality assurance structures could not prevent unacceptable content from reaching classrooms, how will ranking textbooks solve the problem?
Content quality refers to the degree to which educational materials meet established standards and best practices. Content effectiveness goes further - it measures whether those materials actually help students achieve learning goals while advancing the broader objectives of the education system. In Nigeria, these ideals have too often been undermined by institutional negligence, weak oversight, and the corrosive influence of corruption. Agencies responsible for evaluation and approval frequently fall short of their mandate, while some publishers prioritize profit over pedagogical integrity. In an environment where production costs continue to rise, the pressure to publish quickly often overshadows the responsibility to publish well.
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The result is visible in many of the textbooks currently available in our schools. Some contain distorted narratives, outdated facts, and poorly structured lessons. Others avoid controversial but necessary topics, presenting instead an idealized and unrealistic version of society. Many are designed for broad commercial markets and therefore fail to reflect the realities, needs, and aspirations of Nigerian learners. Such books do not merely fall short academically—they shape perceptions, limit critical thinking, and distort the educational foundation of the next generation.
In this context, the ranking of textbooks may prove to be a cosmetic intervention rather than a transformative one.
Ranking, by definition, places books on a scale relative to others, assigning status based on selected criteria. Yet ranking does not automatically improve content quality. At best, it classifies; at worst, it institutionalizes bias. The metrics used for ranking may reflect prevailing bureaucratic or ideological preferences rather than genuine educational merit. If not designed with transparency and integrity, such a system may elevate books that conform to dominant interests while side-lining innovative, truthful, and culturally relevant works.
There is also the risk that textbook ranking may gradually devalue the creative purpose of educational writing. Writers and publishers may begin to focus less on producing meaningful content and more on satisfying the criteria required for higher rankings. This shifts the goal from educational impact to bureaucratic approval, a familiar pattern in systems where form often triumphs over substance.
This concern reminds me of The New Man, a novel by Femi Ademiluyi, which I read while travelling to Ijebu-Ode in 2006. The novel tells the story of Ayo Badejo, a young man determined to transform a corrupt society during his national service year. Yet, in the end, the very system he hoped to change begins to change him. That story remains memorable because it mirrors the Nigerian experience: good intentions are repeatedly weakened by entrenched institutional realities.
The National Textbook Ranking System may well be another Ayo Badejo—an idea born out of good intentions but entering a system too compromised to allow meaningful reform.
The challenge before us is therefore broader than textbook ranking. Nigeria must begin a sincere national conversation about the purpose, structure, and values of its education system. We must ask whether our educational institutions are truly preparing students for national development, scientific innovation, cultural confidence, and ethical leadership. We must examine why a country with immense intellectual potential continues to struggle to produce the kind of globally recognized scientific breakthroughs that reflect national educational excellence.
This is not to diminish the achievements of outstanding Nigerians such as Wole Soyinka, Chinua Achebe, and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, whose accomplishments reflect remarkable individual determination. But a functional education system should not depend on exceptional individuals overcoming structural deficiencies. It should consistently produce excellence through deliberate policy, strong institutions, and quality learning materials.
This is especially important in science and mathematics education, where textbook quality directly affects innovation capacity. Ranking may be useful only if textbooks first meet universal standards that promote critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity. Without rigorous content validation, rankings become meaningless labels. What Nigeria needs are textbooks that inspire invention, strengthen analytical ability, and equip students to solve local and global challenges.
The same principle applies to language education. Indigenous languages such as Yoruba, Igbo, and Hausa should not be treated merely as tools for communication but as carriers of culture, commerce, and identity. Quality educational materials in these languages can help young Nigerians understand their roots while preparing them to engage meaningfully with the modern world. No ranking framework can achieve this unless it is built on a genuine commitment to educational relevance and cultural integrity.
The issue before Nigeria is not whether textbooks should be ranked, but whether textbooks should be trusted.
Trust comes not from ranking systems but from transparent review processes, competent regulatory institutions, ethical publishing standards, and a collective commitment to educational excellence. Until these foundations are strengthened, any ranking system risks becoming another bureaucratic exercise—well announced, well documented, but ineffective in practice.
The federal government’s policy may be a useful starting point, but it is not the solution. The solution lies in confronting the structural weaknesses that allow poor content to thrive in the first place. It lies in building institutions that value quality above patronage, substance above optics, and learning above profit.
That is why the time has come, not merely for textbook ranking, but for a national conversation on the future of education in Nigeria. Only then can we begin to build an education system worthy of our children and capable of delivering the national development we seek.
•Oshunfurewa writes from Lagos. He writes via moshoodho2025@gmail.com
