Olawunmi Ajibike
The Federal Government has presented 72 academic textbooks and 10 additional titles authored by Nigerian scholars as part of efforts to strengthen teaching and learning in the nation’s tertiary institutions.
The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, disclosed this during the public presentation of the books in Abuja on Wednesday.
Alausa said the textbooks were developed under the Higher Education Book Development Intervention Project of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).
According to him, the initiative highlights the Federal Government’s commitment to improving the quality of education and promoting academic excellence within Nigeria’s higher education system.
He explained that the intervention was designed to address the shortage of locally authored academic textbooks and reduce Nigeria’s dependence on foreign publications.
“As we strive to transform our education sector, we profoundly recognise the critical importance of academic textbooks in the tertiary education ecosystem,” he said.
The minister noted that Nigerian tertiary institutions had increasingly relied on foreign textbooks, a trend that places pressure on foreign exchange and discourages indigenous authorship.
He added that encouraging Nigerian scholars to produce quality academic textbooks would ensure the availability of relevant learning materials across various disciplines, particularly in fields such as science, technology and engineering that are critical to national development.
Alausa further explained that the TETFund Book Development Intervention focuses on publishing academic textbooks, supporting professional association journals and establishing academic publishing centres.
He commended the authors, publishers and stakeholders involved in the project for their contributions to strengthening Nigeria’s academic reputation globally.
The minister also acknowledged the support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for ongoing reforms aimed at improving the education sector.
Alausa expressed optimism that the textbooks would help bridge the gap in indigenous academic publishing and improve access to relevant learning materials in tertiary institutions.
The Executive Secretary of Tertiary Education Trust Fund, Sonny Echono, said the fund’s Board of Trustees established a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) in 2009 to ensure effective implementation of the project.
He explained that the book development intervention was created to promote credible, locally authored academic resources while maintaining strict academic standards through a rigorous peer review process.
Echono said the project initially recorded limited progress, with only 20 textbooks published in 2014 and none afterward.
He noted that after assuming office in 2022, the manuscript evaluation process was reviewed and refocused, while a new Technical Advisory Committee with a two-year tenure was constituted to revive the programme.
According to him, the renewed strategy led to the publication and public presentation of 60 TETFund-sponsored books across various disciplines. Ten titles were presented on Aug. 23, 2022, while another 50 titles were unveiled on Jan. 5, 2023.
He added that the committee was reconstituted again in 2024, leading to the publication and presentation of 50 additional books on March 25, 2025.
“Altogether, with this presentation of 82 books, the fund has so far published 202 academic textbook titles, while several others are currently undergoing evaluation,” he said.
Echono further revealed that TETFund would distribute 400,000 copies of the books to beneficiary institutions across the country. He added that digital versions would also be uploaded on TETFund platforms to enhance accessibility for students and researchers.
Chairman of the Technical Advisory Committee on Academic Book Publication and Professional Journal, Albert Abegunde, said the publications cover a wide range of disciplines, including medicine and pharmacy, arts and literature, law, engineering and technology, agriculture, environmental studies, economics, management sciences and research methodology.
He explained that the initiative aims to reduce reliance on foreign academic materials while promoting locally produced content that reflects Nigeria’s realities and aspirations.