The Federal Government on Wednesday presented 82 academic textbooks written by Nigerian scholars as part of efforts to improve teaching and learning in tertiary institutions across the country.
The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, unveiled the books during a public presentation in Abuja, describing the initiative as a major step toward strengthening the nation’s higher education system.
According to the minister, the textbooks were produced under the Higher Education Book Development Intervention Project of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund). He added that the fund also secured 10 additional academic titles to be distributed to universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education nationwide.
Alausa said the project reflects the Federal Government’s determination to promote academic excellence and support the production of high-quality learning materials within Nigeria.
“This initiative underscores the Federal Government’s commitment to quality education and the promotion of academic excellence in our higher education system,” he said.
He explained that the programme was designed to address the shortage of locally authored textbooks in Nigerian institutions and reduce the country’s heavy reliance on foreign publications.
The ministry noted that many tertiary institutions in the country depend largely on foreign textbooks, a situation that places pressure on foreign exchange and discourages local authorship.
Alausa stressed the need to empower Nigerian scholars to produce quality academic materials that are relevant to the country’s educational and developmental needs.
He added that special attention was being given to textbooks in fields such as science, technology, and engineering, which are considered critical to Nigeria’s national development.
Addressing the authors, the minister encouraged wider access to the books, saying they should be made available beyond Nigerian tertiary institutions.
“We can liberalise the use of these books so that they become accessible worldwide. This effort is not about financial gain but about promoting academic excellence and ensuring knowledge is widely shared,” he said.
Also speaking at the event, the Executive Secretary of TETFund, Sonny Echono, said the project was initiated to tackle the long-standing shortage of quality academic textbooks at the tertiary level.
He disclosed that 72 of the books were newly written under the TETFund project, while 10 others were authored by reputable scholars and secured for use by beneficiary institutions.
Echono explained that the lack of adequate and high-quality textbooks had long affected teaching, learning, and research in Nigeria’s higher institutions.
“The persistent shortage of high-quality tertiary-level textbooks in Nigeria has remained a major challenge to teaching, learning, and research,” he said.
He noted that the book development intervention was established to bridge the gap and promote credible, locally produced academic resources.
Echono revealed that TETFund has so far published 202 academic textbooks, with several others currently undergoing evaluation.
He added that more than 400,000 copies of the books would be distributed to beneficiary institutions across the country.
As part of reforms to ensure better resource management, the TETFund boss said authors would now receive monetary honoraria based on the content and number of pages in their books, along with 20 complimentary copies. Previously, authors received 1,000 copies of their publications.
Earlier in the event, participants observed a minute of silence in honour of one of the contributors, Valerie Young Harry, who died shortly before the book presentation.
Chairman of the TETFund Board of Trustees, Aminu Masari, described the late author’s work as a lasting intellectual legacy. He noted that knowledge passed from one generation to another ensures that a scholar’s impact continues long after their lifetime.
Masari also called for strategies to commercialise the textbooks so that authors and their families can benefit from their intellectual contributions while promoting the wider use of the books.
Advertisement
