Abuja: The Federal Government has unveiled 72 academic textbooks alongside 10 titles authored by Nigerian scholars in a bid to enhance teaching and learning in the nation’s tertiary institutions. The announcement, made by Minister of Education Dr. Tunji Alausa, took place during a public presentation in Abuja.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the textbooks were developed under the Higher Education Book Development Intervention Project of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund). This initiative highlights the government’s dedication to improving the quality of education and fostering academic excellence within Nigeria’s higher education system. The project aims to mitigate the dependency on foreign publications by increasing the availability of locally authored textbooks.
Dr. Alausa emphasized the critical role of academic textbooks in the tertiary education ecosystem as the country seeks to transform its education sector. He noted that Nigerian institutions have increasingly relied on foreign textbooks, which has strained foreign exchange resources and stifled local authorship. By encouraging Nigerian scholars to produce quality academic textbooks, the initiative seeks to ensure the availability of relevant learning materials across various disciplines, particularly in fields crucial to national development such as science, technology, and engineering.
The TETFund Book Development Intervention not only focuses on publishing academic textbooks but also supports professional association journals and the establishment of academic publishing centers. Dr. Alausa commended the authors, publishers, and stakeholders involved in the project for their contributions to enhancing Nigeria’s academic standing globally. He also acknowledged the support of President Bola Tinubu for the educational reforms aimed at sector improvement.
Dr. Alausa expressed optimism that the textbooks would help bridge the gap in indigenous academic publishing, improving access to relevant learning materials in tertiary institutions. TETFund Executive Secretary Sonny Echono detailed the project’s journey, noting the establishment of a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) in 2009 to ensure effective project implementation. Despite initial slow progress, with only 20 textbooks published in 2014 and none thereafter, the evaluation process was revamped in 2022, leading to renewed momentum.
Echono highlighted a significant increase in publications following the reconstitution of the TAC and the introduction of a new evaluation strategy. This resulted in the public presentation of 60 titles of TETFund’s sponsored books across various subjects, with additional titles presented in subsequent years. With the latest presentation of 82 books, the fund has published 202 academic textbook titles, with more under evaluation.
The executive secretary announced plans to distribute 400,000 copies of the books to beneficiary institutions nationwide. Additionally, digital versions of the textbooks will be available on TETFund platforms, enhancing accessibility for students and researchers.
Prof. Albert Abegunde, Chairman of TAC on Academic Book Publication and Professional Journal, stated that the publications span a variety of disciplines, including medicine, pharmacy, arts, literature, law, engineering, and more. The initiative aims to diminish reliance on foreign academic materials and promote locally produced content that reflects Nigeria’s realities and aspirations.