.Orders Reuse Of Textbooks –
The Federal Government of Nigeria, on Friday, 9th January, 2026, banned graduation ceremonies in kindergarten classes and announced a new policy framework at reducing the financial burden on parents, improving learning outcomes, and promoting sustainability in schools through the adoption of reusable, high-quality textbooks.
The policy was jointly unveiled by the Minister of Education, Maruf Tunji Alausa, and the Minister of State for Education, Prof Suiwaba Sai’d, as part of ongoing reforms to reposition Nigeria’s education sector.
According to the ministers, the initiative prioritises the use of standardised, durable textbooks designed to last between four and six years, while expressly prohibiting the bundling of disposable workbooks with textbooks in schools.
They further disclosed that graduation ceremonies have been streamlined to ease financial pressure on families.
Under the new guidelines, only pupils and students completing Primary 6, Junior Secondary School 3 (JSS3), and Senior Secondary School 3 (SSS3) will be permitted to hold graduation ceremonies.
They emphasised that the policy strengthens the assessment, quality assurance, selection, and use of textbooks and instructional materials across the country.
The reforms, they noted, respond to longstanding concerns over frequent but cosmetic textbook revisions and practices that compel parents to purchase new textbooks annually without corresponding improvements in content.
A key provision of the policy is the introduction of structured and meaningful revision cycles.
“Under the new framework, textbook revisions must reflect substantive improvements in content rather than minor changes in layout or pagination, thereby extending the lifespan of approved textbooks and ensuring better value for money,” the ministers explained.
