The Federal Government has unveiled 50 textbooks authored by Nigerian academics to bridge the gap in high-quality academic resources for tertiary institutions across the country.
The Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Alausa, presented the textbooks at a public ceremony held at the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday.
The book publication initiative, sponsored by TETFund under its Higher Education Book Development Intervention Project, marks a significant step toward reducing the country’s reliance on foreign academic materials in universities and colleges.
Speaking at the event, the minister decried Nigeria’s heavy dependence on foreign textbooks, stating that the situation worsens the demand for foreign exchange and places local academic publishing in a dire state.
He emphasized the urgent need to foster indigenous authorship to ensure the availability of relevant educational materials while strengthening national identity.
“The scarcity of quality tertiary-level textbooks in Nigeria has reached a critical level, both in quantity and content.
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“This initiative by TETFund is a strategic response to that crisis, ensuring that teaching and research in our institutions are backed by relevant, homegrown instructional materials,” he said.
Reaffirming the Tinubu administration’s commitment to education as a driver of national development, Alausa noted that TETFund is intensifying efforts to enhance content development and capacity building in public tertiary institutions.
Also speaking, the Executive Secretary of TETFund, Arc. Sonny Echono, said the shortage of quality academic books prompted the establishment of the Higher Education Book Development Project.
Echono disclosed that over 130 manuscripts had undergone rigorous review and been published, with an additional 50 manuscripts now completed and ready for public use.
“Following the reconstitution of the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) in 2024, 97 manuscripts were reviewed, out of which 50 have been published. Another 60 titles are scheduled for unveiling by the end of 2025,” Echono said.
He added that, in a bid to ensure value for money, authors will now receive financial compensation based on the number of pages in their books instead of the previous system, which provided them with 1,000 copies.
The TAG Chairman, Prof. Albert Abegunde, highlighted the broader impact of the books, noting that they promote literacy, preserve cultural heritage, support technological advancement, encourage entrepreneurship, and foster research and innovation.
Abegunde outlined the subject distribution, which includes titles on medicine, law, engineering, agriculture, economics, education, and security studies.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of TETFund’s Board of Trustees, Alhaji Aminu Bello Masari, reaffirmed President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to prioritizing education. He praised TETFund’s dedication to transparency and adherence to government regulations in fulfilling its mandate.
With more manuscripts under review and additional books set for release, this initiative represents a significant step toward strengthening Nigeria’s tertiary education sector through locally produced academic resources.
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