The Federal Government has slashed the evaluation and ranking fees for textbooks and ordered immediate refunds for publishers who had already paid under the higher tariff regime.
The policy shift was announced in Abuja on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, by the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) in a statement signed by its Executive Secretary, Prof. Salisu Shehu.
The decision follows extensive engagements between the Federal Ministry of Education and key stakeholders in the publishing industry to prevent rising production costs from trickling down to students and parents.
Revised Fee Structure Breakdown
The adjustment reflects a flat 25% reduction across both per-page evaluation charges and title-level ranking fees:
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ TEXTBOOK ASSESSMENT FEE COMPARISON │
├────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ • Assessment Fee (Per Page) : Cut from ₦2,000 ➔ ₦1,500 (-25%) │
│ │
│ • Ranking Fee (Per Title) : Cut from ₦1,000,000 ➔ ₦750,000 (-25%) │
│ │
│ • Refund Mechanism : Excess ₦500/page & ₦250k/title paid under│
│ the previous rate to be reimbursed. │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
(Source: NERDC Official Statement)
“Publishers who had already paid the previous assessment fee of ₦2,000 per page will receive refunds of the excess payment, while the procedure for processing the refunds will be announced soon. Publishers and authors submitting textbooks for assessment are to make payments based on the revised rates with immediate effect.” — Prof. Salisu Shehu, Executive Secretary, NERDC
The September 2026 National Ranking Deadline
The revised fee structure comes as the Federal Government prepares for the full implementation of the National Textbook Ranking System, a key reform driven by the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa.
| Policy Requirement | Regulatory Impact |
| Mandatory Ranking | Effective September 2026, only textbooks evaluated, approved, and nationally ranked by NERDC will be authorized for classroom use nationwide. |
| Ban on Unranked Books | Unranked or unassessed instructional materials will be banned from primary and secondary school curricula across the country. |
| Quality Control Target | Designed to eliminate substandard, unvetted, and duplicated textbooks flooding the educational ecosystem. |
By slashing the financial barriers for authors and publishing houses, the government aims to encourage widespread compliance before the September deadline while keeping essential educational materials affordable.
Ayodele Quadri
Correspondent
