Honourable Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, attended the presentation of fifty (50) academic textbooks written by Nigerian scholars and published by TETFund’s Higher Education Book Development Intervention Project and its Tertiary Advisory Group (TAG).
The event, hosted at TETFund’s Headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday, 24th March 2025, was attended by key education stakeholders, including the Executive Secretaries of NUC, NBTE, and UBEC (representative), Heads of SSANU, ASUU, and other unions, as well as Vice-Chancellors of universities.
Over time, Nigeria’s tertiary institutions have become predominantly dependent on internationally published books, leaving a significant gap in the market for indigenous educational resources.
As a government, the Federal Ministry of Education through TETFund, is focusing strongly on giving more attention to local authors and publications. By refocusing on local production, the Ministry aims to provide high-quality, indigenous learning materials for students, lecturers, researchers, and institutions.
In his address, Dr Alausa highlighted how indigenous books will nurture a culture of quality authorship, ensure the availability and accessibility of books in diverse subject areas, especially those relevant to Nigeria’s unique structure, environment, and sensitivities. They will also safeguard national pride, improve the global ranking of tertiary institutions, and reduce the demand for foreign exchange.
The continued promotion of indigenous books will also support the Federal Ministry of Education’s goal to build capacity across all Nigerian institutions.
Dr Alausa expressed extreme pride in the work TETFund is doing to change the narrative. According to the Minister “TETFund’s efforts are making a significant impact on schools and the nation.” In his address, Dr Alausa also extended gratitude to the Executive Secretary of TETFund, Arch. Ochono, the Higher Education Book Development Intervention Project, and the Tertiary Advisory Group (TAG) for bringing the initiative to fruition. Appreciation was also conveyed to all the researchers and authors for making their country proud.
The Federal Ministry of Education remains committed to instill national pride in both students and academic staff.
EduTimes Africa, a product of Education Times Africa, is a magazine publication that aims to lend its support to close the yawning gap in Africa's educational development.
