The Federal Government has unveiled 82 locally authored academic textbooks for use in Nigeria’s tertiary institutions as part of efforts to strengthen teaching, research and reduce reliance on foreign publications.
The books were developed under the Higher Education Book Development Intervention Project of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) and formally presented by the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, in Abuja.
Speaking at the unveiling ceremony, the minister described the initiative as a strategic step toward improving the quality of academic resources in universities, polytechnics and colleges of education across the country. He noted that the project was designed to encourage Nigerian scholars to contribute more to global knowledge while addressing local educational needs.
According to him, the textbooks cover a wide range of disciplines including science, technology, engineering, social sciences and humanities, which are critical to national development and innovation.
Alausa explained that the initiative would help tackle the long-standing challenge of overdependence on foreign academic materials used in Nigerian tertiary institutions. He added that many imported textbooks are often expensive and sometimes lack relevance to Nigeria’s socio-economic realities.
The minister also commended TETFund for supporting academic publishing in Nigeria, noting that the intervention would not only enrich teaching and learning but also promote indigenous scholarship and intellectual development within the country.
The Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund said the programme was part of broader efforts to improve the quality of higher education in Nigeria by supporting research, academic writing and knowledge production among Nigerian academics.
He noted that more textbooks are expected to be produced in subsequent phases of the programme to ensure that tertiary institutions are adequately equipped with relevant learning materials.
Education stakeholders have welcomed the initiative, describing it as a significant move that could strengthen Nigeria’s academic publishing industry and enhance the global visibility of Nigerian scholars.
The Federal Government expressed optimism that the introduction of locally authored textbooks would improve the standard of teaching and learning in the country’s higher education institutions while fostering greater academic independence.