The Minister of Education, Dr. Morufu Olatunji Alausa, has maintained that the Federal Government is commited to reducing Nigeria’s dependence on foreign academic books through the TETFund Higher Education Book Development Intervention Project.
Speaking at the public presentation of 50 TETFund-sponsored academic textbooks at the federal ministry of education Abuja on Tuesday, Alausa described the scarcity of locally authored and published tertiary-level books as a crisis that must be urgently addressed. “Over time, Nigeria’s tertiary education institutions became dependent on books published outside the country, leading to increased pressure on foreign exchange. It is equally worrisome that the quality of most academic publications in our country leaves much to be desired,” he stated.
The minister noted that the TETFund Book Development Project, established to tackle this challenge, has been instrumental in supporting the publication of academic books, converting high-quality theses into books, funding professional association journals, and establishing academic publishing centers.
He emphasized that investing in indigenous authorship would ensure the availability of relevant textbooks tailored to Nigeria’s educational needs while safeguarding national pride. He also acknowledged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to prioritizing education funding and policy reforms to enhance research and capacity building in tertiary institutions.
Alausa expressed hope that the ongoing initiative would bridge the gap in local book production and improve Nigeria’s global ranking in higher education.
