Chidimma Uchegbu
The Federal Government has presented 72 academic textbooks and 10 titles authored by Nigerian scholars to strengthen teaching and learning in tertiary institutions.
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, disclosed this at the public presentation in Abuja, saying the textbooks were developed under the Higher Education Book Development Intervention Project of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).
Alausa stated that the initiative aims to address the shortage of locally authored textbooks and reduce dependence on foreign publications, promoting academic excellence in Nigeria’s higher education system.
“As we strive to transform our education sector, we profoundly recognise the critical importance of academic textbooks in tertiary education ecosystem,” he said.
Alausa said Nigerian tertiary institutions had increasingly relied on foreign textbooks, putting pressure on foreign exchange and discouraging indigenous authorship.
He said encouraging Nigerian scholars to produce quality academic textbooks would ensure the availability of relevant learning materials across diverse disciplines.
The minister said the initiative would particularly support fields such as science, technology and engineering that were critical to national development.
Alausa explained that the TETFund Book Development Intervention focused on the publication of academic textbooks, support for professional association journals and the establishment of 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 Tinubu for the reforms aimed at improving the education sector.
Alausa expressed hope 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 TETFund, Sonny Echono, said that the fund’s Board of Trustees (BOT) established a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) in 2009 to ensure effective implementation of the project.
He said the book development intervention project was designed to bridge the gap by promoting credible, locally authored academic resources.
He said the committee ensured academic standards and a credible peer review process for manuscripts submitted under the programme.
He said the project recorded limited progress initially, with only 20 textbooks published in 2014 and none afterward.
According to him, the evaluation process was reviewed after he assumed office in 2022, leading to renewed progress in the programme.
“From the onset, there was no significant progress as only 20 textbooks were published in 2014 and none thereafter.
“Upon my assumption of office in 2022, the manuscript’s evaluation process was abrased and refocused, while the new cohort of the Technical Advisory Committee was reconstituted with a two-year tenure.
“The strategy employed led to the publication, a public presentation of 60 titles of TETFund’s sponsored books in various subjects.
“10 titles were presented to the public on the Aug. 23, 2022, while another 50 titles were presented on Jan. 5, 2023.
“The committee was subsequently reconstituted again in 2024, and based on the fresh targets set, 50 additional TETFund sponsored books were published and presented to the public 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.
The executive secretary said the fund would commence the distribution of 400,000 copies of the books to beneficiary institutions across the country.
He added that digital versions of the textbooks would also be uploaded on TETFund platforms to enhance accessibility for students and researchers.
Prof. Albert Abegunde, Chairman of TAC on Academic Book Publication and Professional Journal, said the publications cut across disciplines including medicine and pharmacy, arts and literature.
Other disciplines , he said, are law, engineering and technology, agriculture, environmental studies, economics, management sciences and research methodology, among others.
He said the initiative was aimed at reducing reliance on foreign academic materials and promoting locally produced content that reflects Nigeria’s realities and aspirations.
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