The federal government has reduced the cost of textbook assessment and ranking under the National Textbook Ranking System and directed that publishers who paid the previous, higher assessment fees be refunded.

The Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council announced the decision in a statement signed by its Executive Secretary, Prof. Salisu Shehu, on Wednesday in Abuja.

According to the statement, the revised fees take immediate effect and are aimed at easing the financial burden on publishers and authors ahead of the full implementation of the National Textbook Ranking System.

Under the new rates, the assessment fee has been reduced from N2,000 to N1,500 per page, while the ranking fee has been lowered from N1 million to N750,000 per textbook title.

“The assessment fee has been reduced from N2,000 to N1,500 per page, while the ranking fee has been reviewed downward from N1 million to N750,000 per textbook title,” the statement read.

Prof. Shehu also announced that publishers who had already paid the previous assessment fee would be reimbursed for the excess amount.

“Publishers who had already paid the previous assessment fee of N2,000 per page will receive refunds of the excess payment, while the procedure for processing the refunds will be announced soon,” the statement added.

The Council further directed that all publishers and authors submitting textbooks for assessment should immediately comply with the revised charges.

“Publishers and authors submitting textbooks for assessment are to make payments based on the revised rates with immediate effect,” it stated.

NERDC urged publishers, authors and other stakeholders in the book industry to comply fully with the new fee structure.

The fee reduction comes ahead of the rollout of the federal government’s National Textbook Ranking System, a flagship education reform introduced by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, to improve the quality of instructional materials used in Nigerian schools.

Beginning in September 2026, only textbooks that have been assessed, approved and ranked by NERDC will be authorized for classroom use nationwide, while unranked textbooks will no longer be permitted in schools.

Speaking earlier at the unveiling of the initiative, Alausa said the policy was designed to eliminate substandard textbooks and ensure that learners and teachers have access only to high-quality, curriculum-compliant instructional materials.

He explained that although NERDC would continue to carry out its statutory responsibility of approving textbooks, approval alone would no longer be sufficient, as every approved title would undergo a rigorous national evaluation and ranking by expert committees before being recommended for use in schools.

The National Textbook Ranking System is one of the key education reforms being implemented by the Federal Ministry of Education under the Renewed Hope Agenda to strengthen quality assurance in basic and secondary education

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the establishment of a new Army battalion in Kwara State to strengthen security and tackle banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes.

The battalion will be located in Omu Aran, headquarters of Irepodun Local Government Area, and is expected to boost troop deployment and military operations, particularly in areas affected by kidnappings and bandit attacks.

Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq disclosed this in a statement issued on Tuesday by his Deputy Chief Press Secretary, Mashood Agboola.
He described the approval as another demonstration of the Federal Government’s commitment to addressing security challenges in the state.

The governor thanked President Tinubu for approving the new military formation, saying it would strengthen ongoing counterterrorism and anti-kidnapping operations.
“We are confident the new battalion will greatly strengthen counterterrorism and anti-kidnapping operations,” he said.

AbdulRazaq also commended the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu, for the swift processing of the request, and appreciated the Office of the National Security Adviser and other security agencies for their efforts to combat violent crime.
He said security agencies were also carrying out coordinated operations to rescue kidnapped victims and flush out criminal elements from forests across the state.

The approval comes amid renewed concerns over insecurity in parts of Kwara, especially Babanla community in Ifelodun Local Government Area, where residents have alleged repeated bandit attacks.

Suspected gunmen have abducted two farmers along the Oke-Ifira/Idogun forest axis in Akoko South-East Local Government Area of Ondo State.

According to report, a relative of the victims announced the incident said to have occured on Saturday when the farmers were kidnapped in the area.

The family member said the incident had been reported to the police and the Ondo State Security Network Agency, also known as Amotekun.

According to the relative, the kidnappers have demanded a ransom of N10 million for the victims’ release.

Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the Ondo State Police Command, DSP Abayomi Jimoh, said the police received a report that the victims were missing but had yet to verify any ransom demand.

Jimoh said a joint security team comprising personnel of the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Army, Amotekun Corps, local hunters, Agbekoya operatives and community volunteers had been deployed to the forest to intensify search and rescue operations.

He said the command had mobilised operational and intelligence assets to locate the victims and apprehend those responsible for the abduction.

The police spokesperson, however, stressed that the command was not aware of any ransom demand linked to the incident.

He appealed to residents with credible information that could aid the rescue operation to promptly report such intelligence to security agencies.